Vineyard Church | Weekly Update July 9th, 2025

Happy Wednesday, Vineyard Family!

To say the world had gone awry at the time of Jesus’ ministry on this earth would be an understatement. The imperial power of Rome had established a sort of peace through military might—Rome’s will or death to the conquered. The premier religious institution of the day, Judaism, was so corrupted with sectarian power struggles that it had become oppressive and useless. Jesus accused its leaders of preventing the people from receiving God’s good grace and experiencing His presence through worship.

Jesus’ announcement of the Kingdom came at just the right time, what the scriptures call the fullness of time. It turns out God had chosen that moment to institute His solution to the problem: a completely new way of being human. An infusion of His life into ordinary people from around the globe as a result of His incarnation, death, and resurrection. An inside job, indeed!

The church—the body of Christ, God’s holy family—was called to bring this remedy to the whole world by manifesting the life of Jesus to all. Through faith, we all have the opportunity to experience this life, this Kingdom, by choosing to be part of the family. It’s that simple. Forgiveness of your sin is the first work of that new relationship. The proof is the gift of the Holy Spirit to you. You now have a new Father!

This week, we’ll look at 2 Corinthians 1:2–2:11, where Paul instructs the church to practice this restorative and healing action in the face of a very difficult situation. There are allusions to forgiveness’s connection to authority and the ongoing mission of Jesus in the world. We can catch glimpses of how Paul relies on the Holy Spirit’s power to heal the body and advance the Kingdom. Truth be told, there is no greater adventure or purpose in life than that.

Can’t wait to be with you this Sunday at Billings Vineyard!

Blessings,
Brad Hudson
Pastor | Vineyard Church
www.billingsvineyard.org