Jesus… Is That You?
by Imee Dalton

“Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.” (Matthew 14.27)

Early in my relationship with God, when I was still getting acquainted with Him, I remember always being surprised when He showed up unexpectedly in my everyday life. However, I’m sure my surprise did not even begin to match the disciples’ when they saw Jesus physically walking towards them in the darkness, in the middle of a huge storm. I’m pretty sure He about scared the sandals off them as He neared the boat. “They were scared out of their wits. ‘A ghost!’ they said, crying out in terror” (Matthew 14.26). But then there was Peter, who had faith enough to at least ask, “Jesus… is that YOU?!”

Imagine Peter’s surprise when Jesus basically answered, “Sure is! Come join me!” I always wondered what prompted this grown man to step out of a boat (the only logically safe place in a storm at sea) and into the ocean, thereby ignoring the laws of nature. Sure, we read that Peter sinks a few steps later, but you’ve got to hand it to him. That is further than I would’ve gotten! The only reason I can think of for why Peter would defy logic by even attempting to walk on water, was that he had the faith to believe that it was definitely Jesus out there in that storm.

Maybe you’re new in your walk with the Lord and just getting to know Him. Maybe you’re hearing all these stories of faith from these past 40 Days and want to join in the fun, but you don’t know how or where to begin. Or maybe you’re questioning how you can learn to hear the voice of God clearer in your life. If this is you, I encourage you to do some very practical, yet important things. Read the Word daily. Spend regular time in quiet conversation with your Savior. Spend time with other brothers and sisters in Christ. As you do these things, you will naturally begin to learn what the Lord’s voice sounds like in your life. “My sheep recognize my voice. I know them, and they follow me. I give them real and eternal life” (John 10.27). I also encourage you to look for God in unexpected places. And when you find yourself asking, “Jesus, is that You?” Don’t be afraid when He says yes!

Imee Dalton has been working at the Vineyard, assisting Pastor Bob Stiles for the last 4 years. Her keyboard and vocal talents can be heard when she serves on the Worship Team. Imee and her husband, Rob, have been part of our fellowship since 2002 and they attend the H-Pike Home Group.

The Power of Our Covenant Relationship
By Joanne Weisenstein

“When the men got up to leave, they looked down toward Sodom, and Abraham walked along with them to see them on their way. Then the Lord said, ‘Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do?’” (Genesis 18:16-17) In the preceding verses, Abraham receives three visitors; one is the Lord.

The Lord was planning to destroy the city of Sodom for its wickedness. But knowing that Abraham’s nephew Lot lived in Sodom, he could not keep this information from Abraham because Abraham had a covenant relationship – built on unconditional promises – with God and it was sealed with blood. Faith is not built on nothing. It is grounded securely on the Word of God and His covenant promises.

I want to share a true story that happened to me on a Friday evening in 1975. I had just put my three children down for the night and was enjoying the quiet peaceful therapy of ironing. My husband was somewhere in the skies over the United States flying home. His job required him to fly out of Columbus on Mondays and return late on Fridays. Jack was an atheist and I had been saved only a short time. As I ironed, I heard a voice say very clearly in my head: “Prepare your house! Your husband’s plane is going down.” I was startled and confused. What did this mean? I replied, “How can that be, Lord? Didn’t you tell me that my husband would be saved? He’s not saved yet.” There was a pause, then came a reply: “Yes, I did … everything will be okay.” How strange! I put it out of my head and went to bed without any worry or further thought.

Around 1:30 a.m., my husband came home, unusually noisy, turning on every light to make sure I was awake. In a highly agitated voice, he began to relate to me the events of his flight home. His plane had been hit by lightning as it flew through a storm. The landing gear had been damaged and they had to make an emergency landing on foam at the Atlanta airport. When he told me what had happened, I remembered what the Lord had spoken to me earlier that evening. My husband was alive and everyone on the plane was alive. I lay awake later in a state of wonder, but it was what I heard next that changed my understanding of faith. I heard the Holy Spirit say softly, “Would I do this thing without telling my good friend Abraham?” I had very little head knowledge of Scriptures at the time and I would not learn the full meaning of what He said to me for two more years. All I knew was he had called me his friend. He had come to me that evening and gave me the opportunity to remind him of His promises to me and, like a child, I did.

He had given Abraham the same opportunity. Faith always delights God. He loves for us to put Him in remembrance of His word to us. Today we have a covenant relationship with Him through Jesus’ blood. It is what guarantees our faith. Faith is not about having religion or head knowledge, but rather about trusting His promise, His word. By faith, you are like Abraham and He calls you His friend.

Joanne Weisenstein has been part of our fellowship since 1994. She faithfully uses her gifts and abilities to support the church with prayer and intercession. Joanne is also the leader of the Joseph Street Home Group, which meets on the first and third Wednesday of each month.

The Bottom Line
By Barb Albert

One thing I really love is the bottom line. For instance, in a long meeting, I find myself itching to hear the bottom line – the reason for getting together. When talking to a salesman for an appliance or vehicle, I want to hear what the price needs to be, apart from all the extras and options. Bottom line.

I love the Bible, and find new things every day when I read it, and there are times when what I read serves as a kind of bottom line to my faith. Micah 6:8 is just such a verse: “He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” This verse is tucked between God’s disapproval of Israel’s disobedient ways, and His promise to restore them. The cut-to-the-chase verse clarifies what He’s communicating to people who first obey, but then wander their own way.

The Word of God overflows with images of God’s goodness. If we read the Bible at all, we see over and over the message of His tremendous grace poured out on undeserving, hard-headed people, and the behavior He asks when we live in a place of loving gratitude toward Him.

Be like Him, and live your life close to Him. Love Him, learn of Him so completely that you start reflecting His character. Love goodness and mercy because God loves goodness and mercy. Seek out and serve the poor and suffering because God cares about the poor and suffering. Submit your life to God and let Him change you to reflect the beauty of His character through you.

This is what the Lord requires – His bottom line for us – and our response opens the door for change in our hearts.

Barb Albert and her family have been a part of the Vineyard since 2001. Barb is currently attending the Vineyard Leadership Institute, serves on our Leadership Council and leads the Women’s Ministry at the Vineyard. Barb attends the Alkire Lakes Home Group.

Saving Your Neighbor’s Axe
by Tom Pauquette

The company of the prophets said to Elisha, “Look, the place where we meet with you is too small for us. Let us go to the Jordan, where each of us can get a pole; and let us build a place there for us to live.”

The man of God asked, “Where did it fall?” When he showed him the place, Elisha cut a stick and threw it there, and made the iron float. “Lift it out,” he said. Then the man reached out his hand and took it. (2 Kings 6.1-7)

Okay, so what is it about the power of God and water? Moses and the Red Sea, Jesus walks on it, and now a prophet makes an iron axe head float. What could God’s point really be here?

I think there are a lot of applications for us here at the Vineyard during our 40 Days of Faith. But the thing that stands out to me more than anything else at the moment is that we must never limit ourselves to God’s amazing possibilities by our perceptions based on history, our secular worldview, or even our understanding of the laws of nature. Our historical perceptions might have caused us to say, “I have never before seen iron float on water, therefore it is not possible.” Our secular worldview might have tempted us to believe that if you lose an axe head in the water, the only way to get it out involves diving for it or draining the pool. Finally, our understanding of the laws of nature might have caused us to firmly believe that iron is heavier than water so that there would never be a possibility of it floating to the surface.

It is here that a daily release of faith (belief and trust) will open up the universe for us. Never again do we need to be automatically limited by historical perceptions, a secular worldview, or the laws of nature. The Bible clearly says, “All things are possible with God” (Luke 1.37). These words were spoken by the angel who was telling the Virgin Mary that she was going to carry the Messiah in to the world. These words shattered Mary’s historical perception, her secular worldview, and her understanding of the laws of nature (”How can this be, since I am a virgin?” v 34). In the end, her statement of humble surrender was also a proclamation of her amazing faith: “I am, the Lord’s servant, may it be to me as you have said” (v. 38).

Today we will face opportunities to release our faith in very much the same ways as Elisha and Mary. Our choice will be the same as theirs – will we lean on ourselves and our own understanding fraught with human limitations, or will release our faith in to the Son and watch His unlimited power open up the universe for us? Let’s go!

Tom Pauquette is the Senior Pastor at the Vineyard. He and his wife, Karen, lead the Jade Court Home Group. To hear the story of how Pastor Tom and Karen started the Grove City Vineyard, be sure to sign up for the next Vineyard 101 class. You will learn the history of the Vineyard and ways to get more plugged into the church.

Worry Says Alot About the Quality of Our Faith
By Pastor Bob

The disciples went and woke him saying, “Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!” Jesus, who was sleeping, woke up and said to them, “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?” (Matthew 8:25, 26).

There is a direct relationship between worry and the quality of our own faith. Matthew records an incident here between Jesus and his disciples on the Sea of Galilee. Storms can come up quickly and quite unexpectedly on this body of water and that’s exactly what happened one day when Jesus and some of the disciples were fishing and soon found themselves in a life-threatening situation. The disciples, fearing for their lives, cry out for Jesus to save them.

Think about it. Here is a group of men who had already witnessed countless miracles and in spite of the fact that God is in the boat with them, they panic. On top of that, most of these men were fishermen. In other words, they were not strangers to storms or high waters. As experienced sailors, they knew the danger, but what they failed to realize was that Jesus was in control of everything, even the forces of nature.

We often worry about things over which we have absolutely no control. What we fail to remember, however, is that we have God right there “in the boat with us” and He controls it all. When we understand who He is, we realize that He not only controls the storms of nature, but He also controls the storms of our lives. Jesus questioned his own disciples on the water that day about their faith. In Matthew 17:20, He tells us that if we “have the faith of a mustard seed, we can move mountains.” In other words, the amount of faith we have has nothing to do with our ability to overcome worry, anxiety, or whatever label you may want to use. Instead, it is the quality of that faith that makes the difference. And we don’t need a lot of quality to overcome the circumstances that are facing us, because we have God on our side.

Bob Stiles is the Associate Pastor at the Vineyard, handling all the hospital and personal care issues of the church along with leading worship during our Sunday services. He and his family have been a part of our fellowship since 2005. Bob and his wife, Leann, lead the Alkire Lakes Home Group meeting on the first and third Wednesday of each month.