Growing during Lent
For nearly 1500 years the church has talked about virtues and vices. Vices are patterns of sins – sometimes even referred to as the seven deadly sins, deadly because they create disordered desires and attachments in our lives that can eventually damage or even destroy our spiritual health. Vices prevent us from living a flourishing life.
But that’s not the end of the story! Christ came that we might life life to the full. Jesus lived and died and rose again to redeem our deepest desires and give us a way to exchange vices with kingdom virtue! He gave us his Holy Spirit to inspire and empower us to seek after virtue, and to turn away from vice. Historic virtues of the church that we will look at are generosity, diligence, temperance, chastity, patience and humility.
This Lent, join us on a journey of self-examination – confession and repentance, the pursuit of virtue, and the flourishing Christian life!
Ways to grow during Lent
Our small groups team is hard at work preparing for the Alpha Project this fall. While we typically offer a particular Lent devotional related to our sermon series, we want to encourage you to grow in your study of and engagement with the scriptures this year. Don’t worry, we plan to have a Lent devotional for 2023, but this year wanted to be sure to steward our energies well for the fall.
To that end, we’ve compiled resources that fit the particular time and place we find ourselves now at Vineyard Columbus. We’ve just concluded a series on the Holy Spirit, heard teaching from Mike Pilavachi, and began the Lenten season with Ash Wednesday. Would you take a moment to pause and reflect on where you’ve been personally over the last few months? What might God be inviting you into over this ancient rhythm of Lent? We pray that it is an invitation to grow (perhaps in a new way).
RightNow Media
On RightNow Media, we’ve selected a few studies that follow the theme of our current series, Epic. We also have curated resources to grow on your own. Find out more by creating an account and checking out the Vineyard Columbus section.
Everyday Supernatural
If you’re wanting to continue growing in the practice and presence of the Holy Spirit, we recommend going through Everyday Supernatural by Mike Pilavachi & Andy Croft. We have copies available in the Vineyard Columbus Bookstore!
Church at Home Studies
The Bible Project has excellent thematic bible study resource to engage you in the broader story lines of the scriptures. Each can be completed in about a half hour (i.e. on your lunch break) and can be done alone or with a friend.
Our Recommendations on RightNow Media
Sermon Series Companion Study
You can’t answer the question, “who am I” until you answer the question “of what story am I a part of?” This series will make space to ask and answer both of those questions during a season of preparation for Easter. Follow our current sermon series with this curated content from the BibleProject.
Curated by Pastor Kristen Selva
Life in the Spirit
Did you just complete the Vineyard Labs: Holy Spirit series? Want to continue on? Pastor Emeritus Craig Heselton teaches on how to partner with the Holy Spirit to release the Kingdom of God in everyday life. PROMO CODE: Lent2022
Selected by Pastor David Schermerhorn
The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry
Is the pace of your life a distraction? Are you overwhelmed by all you have to do? God has a preference for how we are to live our lives.
Selected by Pastor Laura Weiant
The Multiply Course
Has your small group grown significantly in the past year? What do you do when you’ve outgrown your space? God’s vision for growth through making disciples involves multuplication.
Selected by Pastor Kristen Selva
EPIC
Our Current Series
It is important for followers of Jesus to understand the Biblical and historical framework that they are a part of. Understanding the Christian story helps us sort out our individual and corporate identity, teaches us how to live, and keeps us oriented to what it means to be the people of God. But sometimes it’s challenging to understand fully how to read the Bible, how the old and new testaments relate to one another, or how to reconcile how an ancient faith should impact and influence modern lives. You can’t answer the question, “who am I” until you answer the question “of what story am I a part of?” this series will make space to ask and answer both of those questions during a season of preparation for Easter.
About Holy Week
Join us for three unique experiences as we place ourselves in the story of Holy Week by considering the grief of Good Friday, the tension of Holy Saturday, and the joy of Resurrection Sunday.