Vineyard Church | Weekly Update July 30th, 2025

Happy Wednesday, Vineyard Family!

We’re now several weeks into our Strength in Surrender series through 2 Corinthians, and it’s been beautiful to watch how God is meeting us in our times together each Sunday. Paul’s letter has been teaching us that surrender isn’t weakness, it’s the doorway to real, Spirit-filled strength… But it’s also where the rubber meets the road.

And church, I need to say this gently but truthfully: some of us are hesitating at that doorway.
We launched this series with a giving challenge, not as a fundraiser, but as a formational invitation, a spiritual practice, and a tangible act of surrender. So far, the response has been slow and, if we’re honest, at times a little reluctant.

Paul wrote the letter to the church in Corinth as a reminder: giving isn’t just about finances, it’s about formation. It’s about being shaped into people who do the stuff that Jesus did and reflect Him into the world around them. For many of us, this is where we quietly resist surrender; I know this resistance well as I have chosen that path more than once in my walk with Jesus. We might be all in when it comes to prayer, worship, or study, but when it comes to the outward expressions of faith, it is tempting to hit pause.
Dallas Willard put it bluntly:
“The gospel is less about how to get into heaven after you die, and more about how to get heaven into you before you die.”

That’s what this series is about—letting God’s strength reshape our instincts. Letting surrender touch every part of us; our finances, our time, and our willingness to serve.
Henri Nouwen reminds us that:
“Every time we make the decision to love someone, we open ourselves to suffering. That’s the risk of ministry. That’s the cost of surrender.”

It costs something. But it also changes something in us… So here’s the encouragement: Don’t miss this moment. Don’t let this series wash over you without entering into the practice it calls for. We aren’t trying to twist arms or manipulate; we’re stepping into the mandate God gave the Billings Vineyard when he spoke us into the task to Comfort, Comfort My People.

As we prepare for this Sunday’s message, Unveiled and Radiant, let me remind you: boldness in the Spirit comes not from self-confidence, but from full surrender. N.T. Wright says:
“When you learn to give your whole self to the service of God, it’s then that you begin to reflect His glory in the world.”

That’s what we want… for each of us individually, for our church, for Yellowstone County. A community of people so surrendered to Christ that His light radiates from us. Let’s not just talk about surrender. Let’s live it. Together.

Adam Greenwell
Pastor | Vineyard Church
www.billingsvineyard.org