In the Current

Resound Brazil - Team Update

noreply@blogger.com (Luke Humbrecht) — Tue, 26 Apr 2011 16:23:00 +0000

Crafted Prayer

noreply@blogger.com (Luke Humbrecht) — Mon, 11 Apr 2011 19:22:00 +0000

The following is a crafted prayer given to us by Graham Cooke's intercessory team, prior to the Unveiling the Kingdom Conference a couple weeks ago. Be blessed as you read it!

"Papa, we rejoice that your royal scepter is held out to Vinelife and Colorado.
Ignite brilliant mindsets and release strategies for heaven's mandate on earth.
Burst forth flaming upgrades of your possibilities.
Fling open the windows of heaven to pour double portions of generational blessing and inheritances.
Break open frozen promises with a revelation of your faithfulness.
Prime deep wells with your goodness;call up hidden springs.
We recognize Vinelife as a co-heir in Colorado's inheritance.
We declare a new confidence, crowned by freedom to dance on the enemy's head."

The Anointings of David

noreply@blogger.com (Luke Humbrecht) — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 22:50:00 +0000

The Anointings of David

The Other Side of the Coin

noreply@blogger.com (Luke Humbrecht) — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 16:08:00 +0000

Post by Bob Young

In Malachi 3:10, God speaking through the prophet, paints a picture of a major principal of His Kingdom - The Rule of Generosity. In fact, He even goes further and challenges us to "test Him' in accessing this promise. He says, "It's OK."

Recently I was reading this scripture and the picture of a coin popped into my head. On one side, instead of the image of famous American personality, I saw the word "generosity". On the other face were the words "multiplied blessings".

I quickly realized that with this “coin” like any other, you cannot pick up one side without picking up the other as well.

Everyone knows a coin with a blank face on one side would be a counterfeit - worthless. A blind person, in touching that coin would feel the smooth face and be able to "see" its worthlessness.

The "coin" our Father is describing is complete and inseparable.

We cannot receive blessing without being generous - and we cannot be generous without receiving a blessings. It's a Promise!

As the televisions commercials say, "Wait, there's more!" Multiplied generosity.

The Father promises our move of generosity will result in a multiplied response - a blessing far beyond the boundaries of our need.

Besides - who can out-give God?

Letter to the Vinelife Family

noreply@blogger.com (Luke Humbrecht) — Tue, 18 Jan 2011 16:08:00 +0000

Post by Walt Roberson

Dear Vinelilfe,

Acts 2:17 (NASB)
'And it shall be in the last days,' God says,
'That I will pour forth of My Spirit upon all MANKIND;
And your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
And your young men shall see visions,
And your old men shall dream dreams;

I’m about to turn 63 so I guess that places me solidly in the “old men” category! As confirmation, I recently had a dream about Vinelife and what the Lord is doing in our midst.

• We know we’re in an unstoppable move of His Spirit.
• We know we’re increasingly becoming an Equipping Church in the Kingdom.
• We know we’re in transition individually and corporately to embrace our identity and move in a Culture of Honor as we grow in intimacy with God, live in community and expand the Kingdom.
• We know many of us are seeking the Lord regarding finding our place in ministries that we want to start, strengthen or renew.
• We know there is a growing desire for genuine community in our midst.

So here’s the dream:

I was riding with the Heavenly Father in the Engine Car that was pulling a long string of pod cars filled with people from the Vinelife family. We were pulling up to a parking lot and the pod cars were lining up with the parking spaces beautifully. I was amazed how wonderfully they were lining up (thinking only God could do this) when I noticed that the pod car at the very end did not completely line up. In the dream I turned to the Father (our driver) and told Him that it wasn’t all lined up yet. (I guess we try to do this kind of thing even in our dreams!) He was not concerned or anxious about it. He didn’t even respond to me about it. So I got out and walked back to the end of the pod-car train. As I reached the back I noticed that some people couldn’t move from their parking space because they were blocked by the train; and they were angry and yelling at me! (Yes, that kind of thing happens even in my dreams!) I did my best to assure them that everything would be OK. “The Father is driving; just be patient.” I then went back to climb into the Engine Car with the Father and wait for Him to drive forward and line everything up. End of Dream.

I’m still waiting… How about you? I honestly don’t like to wait for Him to line everything up in my life, family and the church. I’m impatient in the waiting but learning through His dealings to rest and wait on Him. It takes maturity to wait. Adolescents can’t wait for life to “line up”. They’re impatient to finish school, get married, get on with their calling/vocation, etc. But there’s real value in waiting.
• Waiting on God releases POWER

Acts 1:4, 8 (NASB)
“And gathering them together, He commanded them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for what the Father had promised, "Which," He said, "you heard of from Me; …
but you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth."

• Waiting on God gives us NEW STRENGTH.

Isaiah 40:31 (NASB)
Yet those who wait for the Lord
Will gain new strength;
They will mount up with wings like eagles,
They will run and not get tired,
They will walk and not become weary.

As I reflect on why the Father would give me this dream I realize the dream is a confirmation of scripture the Lord gave me upon becoming the Senior Pastor at Vinelife.

Isaiah 9:6-7 (NASB)
“…And the government will rest on His shoulders;…
[7] There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace,…
The zeal of the Lord of hosts will accomplish this.”

From Is. 9:6-7 and this dream I conclude the following for Vinelife:

• The government really IS on His shoulders!
• It may not always feel like it but the Father IS in charge/driving at Vinelife!
• We need to continue like the disciples in the upper room to wait and pray for the fulfillment of His promises to us. (See Vinelife 2011 Prayer Guide)
• We need to be patient in the waiting for Him to do all in His time. Don’t be angry (frustrated) if you’re one who’s being affected by the waiting. Be patient. (If you need help with this just ask Joyce to sing her “Be patient” song. She’s sung it to the kids and me for years! At least it seems to work on the kids)
• It is a process. He IS at work in us and He WILL complete it but we must wait on His timing for everything!

Grace to you!

Devotions for Advent :: The Last One!!

noreply@blogger.com (Luke Humbrecht) — Fri, 24 Dec 2010 17:41:00 +0000

John 1:14 “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us and we beheld His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.”

Tomorrow we celebrate the One who came to this earth to show us the Father. He didn’t come empty. He came full! Full of grace and truth! Where do you feel empty today? What is lacking? What part of you needs His grace and truth to come fill you up?

Prayer: Father, thank you for sending Jesus to show me what you’re like. You are full of compassion and mercy, grace and truth. I ask you to come into my life this very moment. I not only want You to live in me but with me. I need you and want you to be my Savior and King, Father and Friend. I open up my heart to you right now and welcome you in. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Amen.

Devotions for Advent :: December 23

noreply@blogger.com (Luke Humbrecht) — Thu, 23 Dec 2010 17:40:00 +0000

John 1:14 “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us and we beheld His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace…”

Grace is God meeting us at our point of need in the Person of Jesus with all His power and provision. We have One living with us who gives us divine capability in all things. It’s His ability and not ours. That should give us REST! Relax, you have One living with you who can handle whatever comes your way. Receive a fresh infusion of strength today!

Devotions for Advent :: December 22

noreply@blogger.com (Luke Humbrecht) — Wed, 22 Dec 2010 17:40:00 +0000

John 1:14 “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us and we beheld His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father…”

Spend some time thinking about His glory. His goodness and His greatness. Would you handle stress differently? Would you find yourself taking your problems and talking them through with Jesus? How would your life change if you were able to live with this awareness?

Devotions for Advent :: December 21

noreply@blogger.com (Luke Humbrecht) — Tue, 21 Dec 2010 17:00:00 +0000

John 1:14 “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us…”

Question: Spend some time thinking about what it would be like to have Jesus live with you throughout your day. What would that change? What would it be like to live with this awareness?

Devotions for Advent :: December 20

noreply@blogger.com (Luke Humbrecht) — Mon, 20 Dec 2010 17:35:00 +0000

John 1:14 “And the Word became flesh…”

Question: In what ways has Jesus become more to you than just head knowledge. How has he become REAL to you?

Devotions for Advent :: December 18

noreply@blogger.com (Luke Humbrecht) — Sat, 18 Dec 2010 18:00:00 +0000

Once more, read through the Christmas story found in Luke 2:1-20. We know that Jesus came into the world after human kind hadn’t heard from God in a very long time; Four hundred years to be exact. We know that Jesus came as a newborn baby, born of a woman. We know He was born into very humble circumstances and into very trying times.

Questions:

Aside from the above examples, what else jumps out to you personally within the Christmas story? What else can you draw from and learn about the nature of God through this story?

Devotions for Advent :: December 17

noreply@blogger.com (Luke Humbrecht) — Fri, 17 Dec 2010 18:00:00 +0000

As we read through the Christmas story found in the gospel of Luke we find that Jesus came into the world at a place and time that was full of anxiety and fear. When we take a closer look into the stories of Mary and Joseph it seems safe to assume that the day of Jesus arrival; although considered to be the greatest day in history for the rest of the world, was for them one of the worst considering all that they had to endure.

Questions:

Have you ever considered that Jesus might actually like to enter our lives in the worst, and maybe even messiest places and times? If this were true, how would it affect your daily relationship with your heavenly father?

Read: Luke 2:1-20

Devotions for Advent :: December 16

noreply@blogger.com (Luke Humbrecht) — Thu, 16 Dec 2010 18:00:00 +0000

The Christmas season can often times be a difficult time for many. That said, maybe you yourself are currently experiencing a season that is full of “hope”, and overflowing with “faith”.

Questions:

How might the Lord use you personally to minister to someone else in your life out of the overflow that you yourself are currently enjoying? How could you be a blessing to them in a practical way during this season?

Devotions for Advent :: December 15

noreply@blogger.com (Luke Humbrecht) — Wed, 15 Dec 2010 18:00:00 +0000

Often, during seasons of waiting in our lives; one of the best exercises or disciplines is to recall to memory the times in your life when the Lord has been faithful to you or a loved one.

Question:

In just 5 minutes, how many memories can you recall God’s love and faithfulness in your life?

Spend 5 more minutes thanking him for each memory.

In what ways has this exercise affected you today?

Advent Pt.2 :: The Christmas Story

noreply@blogger.com (Luke Humbrecht) — Tue, 14 Dec 2010 18:47:00 +0000

Advent Pt.2 :: The Christmas Story

Devotions for Advent :: December 14

noreply@blogger.com (Luke Humbrecht) — Tue, 14 Dec 2010 18:00:00 +0000

Consider once again our verse from yesterday - Isaiah 40:31 ”but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.”

Question: Why would you think that “hope” specifically would be an important attribute to possess in order to produce strength in one's life?

Devotions for Advent :: December 13

noreply@blogger.com (Luke Humbrecht) — Mon, 13 Dec 2010 18:00:00 +0000

In Isaiah 40:31 the Lord tell us…”but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.”

Question: In what areas of your life are there things that you would say you are waiting on the Lord for? How can you use these circumstances as opportunities in your life to strengthen your faith and Hope in the Father?

Devotions for Advent :: December 11

noreply@blogger.com (Luke Humbrecht) — Sat, 11 Dec 2010 21:00:00 +0000

In the well-known Christmas carol “O Holy Night”, the second verse says:

Led by the light of faith serenely beaming
With glowing hearts by His cradle we stand

So led by light of a star sweetly gleaming

Here came the wise men from Orient land

The King of kings lay thus in lowly manger

In all our trials born to be our friend

He knows our need to our weakness is no stranger

Behold your King before Him lowly bend

Behold your King before Him lowly bend

Questions:

In what ways has Christ, the King of Kings, befriended you in your trials?

Do you really believe that He knows your need and is familiar with your weakness?

Read: Philipians 2:5-11

Devotions for Advent :: December 10

noreply@blogger.com (Luke Humbrecht) — Fri, 10 Dec 2010 21:00:00 +0000

This is a season where celebrate Christ as King. It is sometimes hard for us to relate to Jesus as king because our understanding of kings is often related to power-hungry, manipulative, or insecure rulers of the past. Christ came to model for us a new kind of king – one that is faithful, loyal, and good to His people. A kingdom of righteousness, peace, and joy. He’s a good king.

Question:
In what ways has Christ’s kingship brought you righteousness, peace, and joy in ways that you didn’t expect?

Read: Romans 14:13

Devotions for Advent :: December 9

noreply@blogger.com (Luke Humbrecht) — Thu, 09 Dec 2010 21:00:00 +0000

The season can often be difficult as for many of us we find ourselves in ‘tough times’. Maybe this last season was a time where you’ve lost a loved one, lost your job, or have struggled with physical illness. When tough times come it’s easy to tighten our grip on other things we don’t want to lose, but when we do this we might just miss God’s goodness showing up in other ways in our lives. On the flip side, when we surrender to God, release our grip, and realize that we ARE NOT in control, it allows us to see Him showing up in unexpected ways.

Question:
In this season, do you find yourself attempting to hold the pieces of your life together? Or do you find yourself in a place of surrender?

What do you need to let go of, so like the wise men, you can fall to your knees in worship?

Read: Matthew 16:25

Devotions for Advent :: December 8

noreply@blogger.com (Luke Humbrecht) — Wed, 08 Dec 2010 21:00:00 +0000

As we read about King Herod in Matthew 2, we learn that we often miss God’s arrival because we have a desire to be in control of the outcomes of our lives. Sometimes this is obvious. Other times it is subtle. We all have desired outcomes for our family, marriage, career, Christmas gatherings and other spheres of life. Sometimes, when we cling to these too tightly to these desires we put pressure on our relationships and wonder why the people around can never seem to ‘get it.’ When this happens, we often miss the real work God is doing in them, behind the scenes.

Questions:
When it comes to your relationships (spouse, children, leaders, friends), are you able to see the work of God in them and through them, or do you spend most of your time trying to get them see things from your perspective?

How can you take time today to bless those closest to you? Consider sending them an email, Facebook message, text message, or phone call with a word of encouragement.

Read: Hebrews 3:13

Devotions for Advent :: December 7

noreply@blogger.com (Luke Humbrecht) — Tue, 07 Dec 2010 21:00:00 +0000

During the Advent season, we often exhort each other to not miss Christ at Christmas and to remember the reason for the season. We often point fingers at the commercialization or the hustle and bustle of the season. However, there may be other less obvious ways we miss Christ’s arrival in our lives. On Sunday, we focused on how our desire for control often blinds us to where Christ is appearing in our relationships, families, and personal lives.

Question:
Are there other ways that come to mind for why we miss Christ’s advent or arrival in our lives?

Read: Genesis 28:16-17

Devotions for Advent :: December 6

noreply@blogger.com (Luke Humbrecht) — Mon, 06 Dec 2010 19:09:00 +0000

The word Advent comes for the Latin word “adventus” which means ‘coming’ or ‘arrival’. It’s a time when we are filled with joy because Christ has come and is here now. Also, it is a time filled with longing and anticipation for his second advent or coming where he will make all things new.

Questions:
In what ways has Christ filled you with joy this season?
In what ways do you long for Christ to make things new in your life?

Read: Revelation 21:1-5

SIM - Student Ministries Update

noreply@blogger.com (Luke Humbrecht) — Mon, 08 Nov 2010 16:14:00 +0000

Guest post by Jamie Mertens

Hey Vinelife,

Just thought I would like to update you on all the delightful things in the SIM (Student Impact Ministries) world.

As the Vinelife staff, has been talking through overall vision, I myself have been re-solidifying the vision for our entire youth ministry.

We do three main things:

1. Worship God (Through our worship on Wednesday nights)

2. Love Others (We teach how to love and live as Jesus did)

With the end result of....

3. Change the world (Internationally and Locally)

Internationally in Costa Rica through FundaVida.

Locally through changing their homes and schools.

We have been reaching 90-100 different students in our three weekly environments on a weekly basis. (Which I am very happy about because October is usually a low month for us)

We also have three small groups being led outside of our weekly environments that are currently reaching approximately 50 students. (1 adult led, and 2 student led.)

Our leadership team of 10 is solidifying through teachings about leadership and different roles that play a key part in our vision.

The leadership team are currently mentoring, one on one, over 30 students whom we have classified as students who are on the fence, or are students whom have lost touch with the community.

We are currently in a fundraising effort through the holiday season called Hope For The Holidays. We are focusing our students efforts this season to donate funds to FundaVida to sponsor children to get them out of the mindset of poverty and trained into successful careers. We have two main events we are hosting to raise funds this holiday season. First is our 2nd Annual Thanksgiving Dinner, where we donate winter clothes to wellspring and raise funds for fundavida, while enjoying a Thanksgiving dinner together as the SIM family. Second, is our 4th Annual SIMpy Christmas, where we will be earning funds for Funda Vida as well as having one night centered around everything wonderful about the holiday.

There are too many things God is doing in the youth ministry right now to fit into one email, so if you would like to learn more, please feel free to ask Danielle or myself. Thank you so very much for your prayers and investment into our youth!

What God REALLY Feels About You

noreply@blogger.com (Luke Humbrecht) — Mon, 18 Oct 2010 16:52:00 +0000

During our Sunday morning services yesterday, Pastor Walt invited Steve Hultquist to read a beautiful rendering of 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 that Steve had written. Below is a few lines from what was read and you can follow the link below to read the rest on Steve's blog.

I am patient with you. I’m not in a hurry for you to get it right or for you to understand. I have the time. Take your time. It will be better for you when you come to your senses and have a revelation of the truth and why it is so much better for you to walk in My ways.
But in the meantime, I’ll be patient. I can wait. I am patient toward you.

I am kind toward you, too. I intend to benefit you, not profit from you. I am considerate of your needs and wants; I made you, after all. I am charitable towards you; I am lenient in judging you, giving generously to you in your helplessness. I know that you are lacking, and I take it upon myself to give you what you need… although perhaps not what you want.

Read the rest here: http://stephenhultquist.com/thoughts/2010/10/17/what-god-really-feels-about-you/#ixzz12jKViU34