Vinings Lake Church
265 episodes - English - Latest episode: 15 days ago - ★★★★★ - 25 ratingsMessages from Vinings Lake Church in Mableton, Georgia. Vinings Lake is an ever-evolving spiritual collective waking up to beauty, truth, and goodness wherever it is found.
[ Service at 11:00 ]
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Episodes
Baptism as a Rite of Passage
April 10, 2024 19:37 - 36 minutes - 50.8 MBBar Mitzvahs, graduations, weddings, and funerals all mark a significant stage in someone’s life. But what about Baptism? This ancient rite of passage has been given many meanings over the years. This week, we will look at some of those meanings. Can baptism still be a meaningful ritual for us today? What might it mean for us today?
The Rest of Romans Road
April 03, 2024 00:15 - 59 minutes - 82 MBIf you grew up evangelical, you know about, “The Sinner's Prayer.” Romans 9:10-11 is usually the prooftext for this prayer. Today, we are exploring this passage in its larger context of Paul's extended riff (9-11). It turns out, the very thing Paul is arguing for, salvation by faith not works, is the very thing the sinners prayer has become, a work. The good news is that there are no requirements to be a child of God. To emphasize this full inclusion, Paul closes his argument with a hymn of ...
Original Goodness
March 26, 2024 02:30 - 1 hour - 29 MBToday we take a deep dive into one of the prooftext for original sin, Genesis 3. This story is typically described as a falling down but perhaps it can be better understood as a waking up. Just as the eyes of Adam and Eve are opened, so our eyes will be opened to the good news that lies at the heart of this story.
The Ultimate Childhood Wound
March 18, 2024 16:46 - 52 minutes - 23.9 MBCentral to the evangelical notion of salvation is original sin. The belief that humans are born broken, flawed, and separated from God. One prooftext is Genesis 3. Turns out, just as Adam and Eve were lied to in the story, we were lied to about the story. Original sin is nowhere to be found. What can be found? The fundamental truth that the core of our being is not opposed to God but made in the image of God.
Salvation as Liberation
March 11, 2024 18:53 - 58 minutes - 26.6 MBWe are given three images in the Old Testament of salvation. The first is in Exodus. Here, Salvation is about liberation. The second is in Isaiah. Here, salvation is about return from exile. Third is in Psalms. Here, salvation is about enemies. All of these are about something concrete, real, literal, present, here and now. What does this mean for us? James Cone said it best, “To see the salvation of God is to see this people rise up against its oppressors, demanding that justice become a re...
Healing Scrupulosity
March 05, 2024 22:46 - 58 minutes - 26.6 MBHave you been saved? Have you accepted Jesus into your heart? Have you trusted Jesus to be your Lord and Savior? If you grew up evangelical, you know these were the most important questions you could ever ask. So much so, that many people spent their days obsessively, anxiously, and frequently reciting a sinner's prayer to be sure they were saved. We now know this is called scrupulosity. Today, we will talk about this religious OCD and how to begin the process of healing.
The Restorative Power of Love
February 28, 2024 23:09 - 58 minutes - 107 MBWe sit down with author and speaker Felicia Murrell to discuss her new book, AND: The Restorative Power of Love in an Either/Or World. IN an election year where sides are being demanded, Felicia offers a third way. She proposes the way of Love that shatters all categories of left and right. Is it any wonder, Jesus said, narrow is the way that leads to life? You can purchase Felicia’s new book anywhere books are sold.
Let Us Pray? - Thoughts + Prayers + Participation
February 14, 2024 22:07 - 52 minutes - 95.7 MBEver heard the phrase, “Thoughts and Prayers?” Do you cringe at the sound of it? I am almost certain this expression began from a sincere place of sympathy. But overtime, it has become a trite, empty, and meaningless cliché. Why? Because it has become a substitute for responsibility. Today, we talk about prayer not as a substitute for responsibility, but an invitation into responsibility. Our friend Shane Claiborne sums it up best, “If we ask God to move a mountain, God often gives ...
Let Us Pray? - A Practice of Grounding
February 06, 2024 00:03 - 51 minutes - 70.3 MBIt’s easy to lose connection to the sacredness, depth, vitality, wonder, and meaning of life. Many of us unconsciously get caught up with everyday demands and lose sight of the magic and point of it all. But what if we could pull ourselves out of ourselves from time to time? What if we could regularly reconnect with source, sacredness, depth, and meaning? Today, I want to show you how to do that. Today, we will talk about prayer as a practice of grounding.
Let us Pray? - Prayer as Posture, Listening and Joining the General Dance
January 30, 2024 00:28 - 42 minutes - 58.9 MBWhat would it look like to think about prayer as a kind of listening, to the world, to one another, to the Divine? How can we let go of our small agendas and listen for a bigger story, what Thomas Merton calls the "general dance?" How can we learn to pay attention, as an act of prayer, rather than just thinking about prayer as using words to address God?
Let Us Pray? - Sending Energy + Vibrations
January 22, 2024 22:07 - 1 hour - 83.4 MBEverything is energy. All energy creates vibrations at different frequencies. When we speak a word, it vibrates at a certain frequency. This is not psychology but physics. Now, what if prayer was no exception to this reality. What if prayer is not just about the horizontal but the vertical? What if our praying has been facing one direction for too long? What if prayer is more about sending and receiving energies with others and not trying to persuade or manipulate the Divine? What if we all ...
Let Us Pray? - A Practice of Lament
January 16, 2024 00:38 - 1 hour - 84.5 MBWhat if prayer could be a practice of lament? An intentional time of ripping our heart open and giving language to that which lurks inside your internal universe. What if prayer could be naming the anger, rage, joy, and pain within you. Perhaps this type of expression could get us one step closer to finding release. This week we examine the most common type of Psalm from ancient Israel, the Lament Psalms. Perhaps it leads us to our own practice of lament.
Let Us Pray? - The End of Prayer Shaming
January 09, 2024 01:34 - 51 minutes - 70.4 MBWhat is prayer? What is the purpose of prayer? How does it work? Do you pray? What do you pray for? Can prayer change things? If not, why do we do it? Does prayer change Gods mind? Does God answer prayer sometimes but not all the time? Have you ever prayed for someone or something and it didn’t happen? Are miracles dependent on prayer? If so, what is the criteria? How sincere the prayer is? How often we pray? How many people we have praying? Is prayer about convincing, persuading, or manipul...
ReImagining Mary Pt.1- Let it Be.
December 03, 2023 21:35 - 56 minutes - 78.2 MBMany of us grew up with a particliuar image of Mary. She appears docile, meek, mild mannered like she is posing for the cover of hearth & home as a voiceless virgin passively sitting amongst fluffy sheep. But this image is not the image we are given in the narrative. It appears we have Mary all wrong. Today we will begin the process of shattering the porcelain Mary we were handed. We will begin to discover a Mary who was in fact the mother of a revolution.
What Happens When We Die? - Is There A Heaven?
November 19, 2023 15:56 - 1 hour - 91.7 MBWhat were you taught about heaven? Many of us were taught that heaven is an ethereal, intangible, & immaterial place that sits somewhere above us. When we die a very small group of people will go there to live in their mansion forever. Once there, we will wear white robes, sit on clouds, play harps, and sing Chris Tomlin songs forever and ever. But these images are the opposite of what the Biblical writers portray to us. For them, heaven is not somewhere else. Heaven is among us, within us, ...
What Happens When We Die? - Sheep + Goats
November 12, 2023 17:17 - 1 hour - 92.4 MBWill there be a Judgement Day when we die? Will all the wrongs be made right? Will everything that was done in the darkness be brought into the light? There is a primal impulse within all of us for people to get what they deserve. But what about the litany of ways we have contributed to the heartbreak around us? Could the desire for judgement actually be a desire for justice? Could our understanding of justice be limited to a punitive understanding? To get at this we obvio...
What Happens When We Die? Pt. 4 - Jesus + Gehenna
October 30, 2023 01:03 - 1 hour - 85.7 MBJesus once said, “If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away; it is better for you to lose one of your members than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.” Is Jesus talking about eternal conscious torment? Did He talk more about hell than any other subject? And what do we do about the part of tearing are eye out? Is this hyperbole? Is this literal? Let's get into it.
What Happens When We Die? Pt.3 The Valley of Hinnom
October 22, 2023 18:53 - 48 minutes - 66.3 MBThe English word “hell” is used roughly twelve times in the New Testament. Almost all those occasions are exclusively by Jesus himself. In one place Jesus says, “If you say, ‘You fool,’ you will be liable to the hell of fire” (Mark 9:47). What does Jesus mean by this? To get at it, we must know something about the valley of Hinnom. Never heard of it? Come find out all about it. Today, we talk about Hell + New Testament.
What Happens When We Die? Pt. 2- Hell + Old Testament
October 15, 2023 20:40 - 54 minutes - 74.3 MBIs Hell in the Old Testament? Why do some translations have hell in the O.T. but others do not? What did the ancient Israelites believe about the afterlife? Were they concerned about life after death? Is there any evidence they believe in life after death? How did their Egyptians neighbors influence their understanding? This week we talk about Sheol, ancient Egyptian texts, King James, Jerome, and what ancient Israel believed about the afterlife.
What Happens When We Die? - The Moral Absurdity of Hell
October 08, 2023 16:58 - 1 hour - 94 MBCan a loving God send some to eternal torment? One response I’ve heard, “God doesn’t send anyone to hell, we send ourselves there.” Can you feel the strain in this response to absolve God of all responsibility. Why? Perhaps, it's because deep down in all of us, we intuitively know someone burning forever and ever in conscious torment is immoral no matter how evil they might be. Today we talk about the morality and ethics of everlasting torment. What does Hell say about character of God?
VL 17.0 - How We Will Do This?
September 17, 2023 21:48 - 57 minutes - 78.9 MBVision is what you want to accomplish. Mission is how you will get there. Too many companies have vision but have no idea how to accomplish that vision. Today we will talk about how we intend to accomplish our ONE thing of creating a wake up space for the world. Join us for VL 17.0- How will we do this?
VL 17.0 - What Are We Doing Here?
September 13, 2023 00:42 - 57 minutes - 78.4 MBIn the past, our collective stretched itself thin trying to conform to all the expectations of what VL should be doing. As a result, we were unremarkable at many things. Over the last year, we have gotten clear on who we are and why we are here. Today, we want to show and tell you this ONE THING. All our energies are dialed in and we are unapologetically focused on the work we are here to do. What is that work? Find out in today’s sermon, What are we doing here?
VL 17.0 - Paul’s Google Review
August 27, 2023 21:18 - 1 hour - 88.7 MBIn Acts 21, Paul is asked, "Aren't you the Egyptian who started a revolt and led four thousand terrorist out into the wilderness some time ago?” Paul’s response… um no, where did you hear that? How great is that story? Paul then goes on an extended riff about who he is. In today’s sermon, we cut through all the ambiguity and give you as much church clarity as we know. This is the final installment of question one- Who is VL?
VL 17.0 - Busted Wineskins
August 20, 2023 20:02 - 54 minutes - 78.3 MBThe worlds largest religion is declining on an epic scale. Religious organizations are doing everything they can to keep it all alive. Clever marketing, compelling language, good music, great coffee, and top notch kids programs are an attempt to turn the tide. But many religious leaders feel as though they are doing hospice work for the church. Maybe they are on to something? Maybe it feels like a death, because it is a death? Maybe the work is to let it die? Today, we are tal...
VL 17.0 - The Rebirth of Vinings Lake
August 13, 2023 20:58 - 49 minutes - 68.2 MBIn 1955, New Hope Baptist Church began on the outskirts of Atlanta. In 2006, New Hope Baptist Church became Vinings Lake Baptist Church. In 2008, Vinings Lake Baptist Church became Vinings Lake Church. We were a traditional Baptist church We were a contemporary Baptist church We were a non-denominational church We were a progressive christian church. We are not who we were. We are an ever-evolving spiritual collective. Whether this is your first time, you've been around VL since...
Revolutionary Love - pt. 4
July 23, 2023 19:35 - 43 minutes - 49.9 MBFear is the epicenter of the religious industrial complex. Remove fear and you bankrupt the business. Demolish many churches and you will discover it's built on the foundation of fear. Fear as a motivator is in more than just the religious realm. We see it in politics, click-bate tweets (now threads), and finance. Everyone knows the power of fear. But what does using fear as a weapon say about the message, person, or institution peddling the fear? It tells us how uninteresting the actual pr...
Revolutionary Love - pt. 3
July 16, 2023 20:51 - 52 minutes - 96.5 MBFear is the epicenter of the religious industrial complex. Remove fear and you bankrupt the business. Demolish many churches and you will discover it's built on the foundation of fear. Fear as a motivator is in more than just the religious realm. We see it in politics, click-bate tweets (now threads), and finance. Everyone knows the power of fear. But what does using fear as a weapon say about the message, person, or institution peddling the fear? It tells us how uninteresting the actual pro...
Revolutionary Love - pt. 2
July 09, 2023 20:50 - 48 minutes - 90 MBFear is the epicenter of the religious industrial complex. Remove fear and you bankrupt the business. Demolish many churches and you will discover it's built on the foundation of fear. Fear as a motivator is in more than just the religious realm. We see it in politics, click-bate tweets (now threads), and finance. Everyone knows the power of fear. But what does using fear as a weapon say about the message, person, or institution peddling the fear? It tells us how uninteresting the actual pro...
Katie Mair
June 11, 2023 18:51 - 47 minutes - 87.6 MBOur own Katie Mair shares her thoughts with the VL tribe.
Josh Scott at Vinings Lake
June 04, 2023 18:10 - 1 hour - 112 MBOur good friend, pastor, and author Josh Scott joins us at VL.
Uncertain Faith - pt. 6
May 21, 2023 21:44 - 1 hour - 115 MBWhat is faith? Is it something we think? Feel? Intuit? Apprehend? Is it a verb or a noun? Is it something that takes place in my heart? Mind? Soul? Can faith be strong? Weak? Can we have little faith? Big faith? Medium faith? No faith? Are there different kinds of faith? Is faith the same as belief? Is faith the same as certainty? What does it mean to KNOW? Is faith necessary? What is doubt? Is doubt weakness? Bad? Necessary? In this series we will discuss faith, doubt, and everything in bet...
Uncertain Faith - pt. 5
May 16, 2023 17:28 - 44 minutes - 81.4 MBWhat is faith? Is it something we think? Feel? Intuit? Apprehend? Is it a verb or a noun? Is it something that takes place in my heart? Mind? Soul? Can faith be strong? Weak? Can we have little faith? Big faith? Medium faith? No faith? Are there different kinds of faith? Is faith the same as belief? Is faith the same as certainty? What does it mean to KNOW? Is faith necessary? What is doubt? Is doubt weakness? Bad? Necessary? In this series we will discuss faith, doubt, and everything in bet...
Uncertain Faith - pt. 4
May 16, 2023 17:26 - 53 minutes - 99.2 MBWhat is faith? Is it something we think? Feel? Intuit? Apprehend? Is it a verb or a noun? Is it something that takes place in my heart? Mind? Soul? Can faith be strong? Weak? Can we have little faith? Big faith? Medium faith? No faith? Are there different kinds of faith? Is faith the same as belief? Is faith the same as certainty? What does it mean to KNOW? Is faith necessary? What is doubt? Is doubt weakness? Bad? Necessary? In this series we will discuss faith, doubt, and everything in bet...
Uncertain Faith - pt. 3
May 09, 2023 18:46 - 1 hour - 114 MBWhat is faith? Is it something we think? Feel? Intuit? Apprehend? Is it a verb or a noun? Is it something that takes place in my heart? Mind? Soul? Can faith be strong? Weak? Can we have little faith? Big faith? Medium faith? No faith? Are there different kinds of faith? Is faith the same as belief? Is faith the same as certainty? What does it mean to KNOW? Is faith necessary? What is doubt? Is doubt weakness? Bad? Necessary? In this series we will discuss faith, doubt, and everything in bet...
Uncertain Faith - pt. 2
April 23, 2023 19:44 - 49 minutes - 91.7 MBWhat is faith? Is it something we think? Feel? Intuit? Apprehend? Is it a verb or a noun? Is it something that takes place in my heart? Mind? Soul? Can faith be strong? Weak? Can we have little faith? Big faith? Medium faith? No faith? Are there different kinds of faith? Is faith the same as belief? Is faith the same as certainty? What does it mean to KNOW? Is faith necessary? What is doubt? Is doubt weakness? Bad? Necessary? In this series we will discuss faith, doubt, and everything in bet...
Uncertain Faith - pt. 1
April 23, 2023 17:51 - 1 hour - 111 MBWhat is faith? Is it something we think? Feel? Intuit? Apprehend? Is it a verb or a noun? Is it something that takes place in my heart? Mind? Soul? Can faith be strong? Weak? Can we have little faith? Big faith? Medium faith? No faith? Are there different kinds of faith? Is faith the same as belief? Is faith the same as certainty? What does it mean to KNOW? Is faith necessary? What is doubt? Is doubt weakness? Bad? Necessary? In this series we will discuss faith, doubt, and everything in bet...
Did Jesus Die for Our Sin? - pt. 3 The Modern Signficance
March 26, 2023 19:32 - 1 hour - 130 MBThe first century writers use sacrificial language to give theological meaning to the death of Jesus. This week we are asking one question that requires contemplation: Outside of temple language like debt, atonement, sin, blood sacrifice, and forgiveness, what does Jesus’ death mean for us?
Did Jesus Die for Our Sin? pt. 2: The Theological Significance
March 19, 2023 18:41 - 1 hour - 120 MBAfter Jesus was killed, his followers struggled to make sense of what just happened. Many in the first century began to make theological claims about the significance of Jesus’ death. One of those claims comes from a sermon found in Hebrews. The author writes, “Jesus was the once and for all sacrifice.” This week I want us to see how this revolutionary idea was a giant leap in human consciousness during this time.
Did Jesus Did for Our Sin? - pt. 1 The Historical Significance
March 12, 2023 18:07 - 1 hour - 121 MBWhat have you been taught about the death of Jesus? What were you told happened on that iconic cross? This week, we begin with the actual story of Jesus’ death. Before all the theological meanings there is the historical meaning. Why did Jesus die? Historical speaking, the cause of Jesus’ death is not a mystery. He did not die for sin, He died from sin.
Human Flourishing - pt. 6 Showing Up: Light of the World
March 05, 2023 19:04 - 59 minutes - 111 MBThe entire framework of waking up, growing up, and cleaning up is just an intentional way to become and remain a fully-integrated human. We practice these actions so that we will “show up” in all of our glory as a true emanation of the Divine Source. So that human flourishing will come to fruition in ourselves, our collective, and our world. This week, we end our series by SHOWING UP.
Human Flourishing - pt. 5 Cleaning Up: Internal Universe
February 26, 2023 19:11 - 53 minutes - 99 MBWe live in two dimensions. Some call this, the upper and underworld, the vertical and horizontal plane, or the conscious and unconscious realm. I call it the external and internal universe. The external universe is what is happening around you. The internal universe is what is happening in you. This Sunday, I want to share about my trips to my internal universe. By doing so, I hope to inspire you to take your own journey. Maybe we will come to find the words of Jospeh Campbell to be true; “...
Human Flourishing - pt. 4 Cleaning Up: The Shadow
February 12, 2023 19:33 - 59 minutes - 110 MBSwiss psychologist Carl Jung gave language to a part of our internal landscape he called “The Shadow.” Though this metaphor is contemporary, the concept behind it can be found in most wisdom traditions. Long before Jung, Jesus illustrated this very idea through Greco-Roman theatre and hyperbole. After his vivid presentation, he calls his audience into what can feel like a terrifying, ominous, and unknown task. He calls them to hunt for their own shadow.
Human Flourishing - pt. 3 Growing Up: Immature Gurus?
February 05, 2023 19:25 - 55 minutes - 102 MBPart 3 of our message series on human flourishing.
Human Flourishing - pt. 2 Growing Up: Immature Gurus?
January 29, 2023 19:11 - 1 hour - 122 MBIs there a difference between waking up and growing up? Is it possible to have seen the light yet remain spiritually undeveloped? Have you ever met an immature guru? In my experience, the greatest hinderance to our further growth can be our previous awakening. Said another way, waking up cannot substitute for growing up. This week we look at the second criteria for a fully integrated life, Growing Up.
Human Flourishing - pt.1 Waking Up: I Saw the Light
January 22, 2023 19:34 - 1 hour - 125 MBHave you ever had an awakening experience? How did it happen? Was it something you read, someone you met, somewhere you went? How would you describe this awakening? Was it disorienting, calming, affirming, terrifying? The very phrase “waking up" is a metaphor explaining something that has happened to us, in us, among us, through us. But what is it exactly? What does it mean to wake up? Wilber's first criteria to a fully integrated life: Waking Up.
Shane Claiborne
January 15, 2023 21:09 - 53 minutes - 98.9 MBOur good friend, speaker, activist, and best-selling author Shane Claiborne joins us.
Jonathan Findley
January 08, 2023 19:32 - 45 minutes - 84.5 MBOur good friend Jonathan Findley shares a message for the New Year with the VL family.
A Christmas Story - pt. 2: Receive the Gifts
December 19, 2022 16:06 - 54 minutes - 101 MBSomething new is being birthed in and through Matthew’s collective. We asked, what is the new thing that wants to come through our collective? Rest assured, with all new ideas, perspectives, and dreams there will be opposition. Someone (Herod/Empire) has a vested interest in keeping things just as they are. Matthew’s community knows this well, as they dodge the Imperial threats. But along the way, they are visited by the most unexpected people, Magi/Astrologers. These foreign religious astro...
A Christmas Story - pt. 1: He Had a Dream
December 11, 2022 18:45 - 55 minutes - 103 MBThe image of Mary giving birth to Christ has captured our attention for a couple thousand years. The Divine is showing us He is at work in and through the human. For Matthew’s audience, this image would have taken on personal meaning. Births are messy, painful, and often involve stretching. His community knows this experience all too well. Like a birth doula, Joseph courageously agrees to assist. What is the new thing trying to come forth from the heart of our community? What if, like Joseph...
Let's Get Biblical - pt. 7: Poetry and Dictionaries
December 05, 2022 16:18 - 1 hour - 116 MBIs the Bible true? Are the Genesis creation accounts true? What about Jonah? I suppose we would have to ask, what do we mean by true? Which leads us to another question, is there more than one kind of truth? This week we will explore how to read the Bible literately (not literally). Maybe these authors are more interested in us engaging their stories than believing them?