In part 2 of our March series, The Biography of Jesus, we’re joined by guest speaker Pastor Joe Cameneti Jr. from Believers Church in Ohio. He brings us an encouraging word as we continue to discover more about who Jesus really is and how we can come to know Him more fully. 

Pastor Joe sets the stage for his message with a question: Have you ever had someone confuse you for someone else? Has someone thought you are somebody that you’re not? 

In his message, The Bread of Life, at timestamp 3:17, Pastor Joe shares a hilarious story relating a time when his answer to that question was a resounding “YES!” The point of his story is to relate to us the idea that under false beliefs, we behave in ways we wouldn’t normally. 

The same is true in our relationship with Jesus. How many of us miss out on the miracle of knowing Jesus in the way that we were created to because we don’t truly know who He is? Throughout the Biography of Jesus...

We’re kicking off a brand new series at VFC: The Biography of Jesus. Throughout March and April, we’ll be discovering more about who Jesus is and what that means for us. We’re considering the question, “Who do you say that Jesus is?” and learning about His ways, How words, and who He truly is. 

 As we see throughout the Bible, Jesus was given lots of different titles throughout Scripture. He’s the Messiah. He’s the King. He’s the Lamb. He’s the High Priest. He’s the Son of David. He’s a Rabbi. 

 In her message, Son of God, Son of Man, Annie Spangler explores with us the details of these 2 titles Jesus holds to help us understand who He is on a deeper, more personal level. 

What’s in a Title?

 Titles help us know who somebody is; they describe a person. Understanding a person’s title gives insight to who they are, what their motives are, what they're like, and how your life...

 We live in a crazy world–one that’s full of distractions pulling us away from the truth of God’s word. Living in a fallen world, how do we raise families, strengthen marriages, and build friendships in a way that pleases and honors the Lord? Over the course of the last month, we as a church have navigated through the Intentional Family series where we’ve focused on ways to build strong families, the importance of intentionality, and how to be a reflection of God. 

As we dive into the 4th and final message of our February series, Eric Jones brings an encouraging word that highlights our place in the family of God in his message Your Origin Story. We discover what it truly means to be a child of God and see the depth of God’s love for us as He’s adopted us into his family by the blood of Jesus Christ. We see God’s plan for His family in two foundational verses: 

Ephesians 1:3-5 (NLT) 3 All praise to God, the Father of our Lord...

How to Be a Reflection of God 

In part 3 of our Intentional Family series, the mom and dad of our house, Pastors Beth and Jeff Jones, share an instructional word guiding us in how to be a reflection of God, especially as a spouse and as a parent. 

Pastor Beth comes to us via video while guest speaking at a church in Idaho and shares her core values as a mother with 10 intentional things for us to do with our kids. In house, Pastor Jeff dives into how to be a reflection of God to our families and shares 2 foundational passages that have shaped his life as a husband and a father. He also details 7 key principles for us to exemplify as we shine the light of Jesus into our homes and our community. 

Both Pastor Beth and Pastor Jeff remind us of the #1 goal for intentional families: Live a life pleasing to the Lord. That’s it! And we’re learning exactly how to do just that in How to Be a Reflection of God. 

10 Intentional Values to Implement with Your Kids

 We’re in the midst of our February series at Valley Family Church: Intentional Family. Pastor Tim Gilligan joins us from Ocala, Florida and shares an encouraging word detailing 2 principles for us to live by in order to build and maintain intentional families. If we live by circumstances, we’ll be tossed all over the place. But if we live by principles, we’re established, settled, and unwavering. In God Pays Attention to Our Intentionality, we discover God-approved principles for us to live by that will strengthen, heal, and nurture our families today and for generations to come. 

Principle 1 - God pays attention to our intentionality. 

In order to have intentional marriage, intentional families, intentional relationships, we have to actually be intentional in our efforts. When our hearts are in it, when we really mean to do it, when we make an active effort toward God…this is when God responds. When we’re intentional in our efforts,...

 As we enter a brand new month of 2022, we’re kicking off a brand new series: Intentional Family. In a culture where the importance of family is fading, we must remember that family is the core of the heart of God–both the nuclear family and the church family. Whether you’re married, engaged, dating, or single, this series is for you. We’re diving into God’s word and discovering 4 ways to build solid families in an over sexualized, over individualized culture. 

Why are families so important?

What is it about family that makes it so important that VFC would intentionally use “family” as part of the name of our church? To put it simply…Family is important to us because family is important to God. Families are the foundation on which society is built upon; the values of a family are ultimately reflected in society at large. 

The family is considered the core of society because it’s the place where its members are...

3 Heartbeats of VFC

The Heart Ablaze series has come to an end and we’re wrapping up the month of January 2022 with a special message: Can You Hear the Beat? That’s right, Church…Heartbeat Weekend has arrived! This is a special time for our church family, for our community. We’re coming together to reunify, regather, and resurrender to the heartbeat of Jesus in both our personal lives and in our church as a whole. 

PS – if you missed any of the 4 messages from our Heart Ablaze series, you can watch all the replays on the VFC YouTube channel or listen on VFC’s Apple Podcast. This is a series you won’t want to miss! We discover how to keep our hearts on fire for God in an age of apathy as we seek to passionately and intentionally pursue Him this year.   

Where We’ve Been 

30 years ago, founding senior pastors Jeff and Beth Jones moved to Kalamazoo with a vision in their hearts and a sense of calling and purpose...

How to Worship in Spirit and in Truth

Pastor Beth Jones brought the final message in the Heart Ablaze series where she shared the secret to staying on fire for the Lord. If you’ve missed any of the messages in this series, catch up on the VFC YouTube Channel! You’ll find part 1 with Eric Jones, part 2 with Pastor April Wedel, and part 3 with Pastor Jeff Jones, all of which precede this weekend's word with Pastor Beth Jones: Psalms, Hymns & Spiritual Songs. 

We discover how to break the chains of apathy and stay fresh in our relationship with the Lord as Pastor Beth shares details on the life-changing and life-giving act of honoring God through singing. Some things in our Christian life are best caught, not taught. Instead of just teaching us about singing, Pastor Beth demonstrates the real meaning of praise and worship in Psalms, Hymns & Spiritual Songs and shows us how praising the Lord through song connects us to Him in a way that prevents our fire,...

How do we stay connected to God and hear from heaven? The answer is simple: We remain in the word. In week 3 of Heart Ablaze, Pastor Jeff Jones brought an empowering message instructing us on the 5 ways to get the word into our heart. He encouraged us to grow in our personal expectation when we spend time with the Lord–reading the Bible, coming to church, taking time to pray, participating in worship–that we would experience a real and active connection with our Heavenly Father. 

As believers, we have the amazing opportunity to experience exponential growth as we elevate our relationship with the one true God and let Him direct our lives. When we connect with God, He gives us guidance–not audible voices–but He gives us a knowing that we’re on the right path or if the decision we’re making is aligned with His plan. That truth gives us bold confidence as we walk through life in faith! In his message, Remain in the Word, Pastor Jeff shares key...

How do you keep your heart ablaze for God in the age of apathy? In our world today, there’s an indifference–a lack of enthusiasm–towards the Lord. There’s a coldness and disrespect for God all around us and now, more than ever, it’s time for us as Christians to reflect and assess our hearts, ask ourselves hard-hitting questions, and discover how to pursue Jesus like never before. 

It’s one thing for the world to be apathetic towards God; the Bible even tells us that the world will get darker and darker. However, as believers, we cannot allow a spirit of apathy to penetrate the church! That’s why we’re embarking in the new year with a new series: Heart Ablaze–How to Pursue God in the Age of Apathy.  

In Part 1 of the series, Eric Jones shared a powerful word detailing 3 Ways to Grow Your Relationship with God. If you missed his message, listen to it here and be blessed and encouraged as we continue to receive...