What does it mean to truly invest in the next generation? In this powerful message, Jacob unpacks what it looks like to have strong, available, and faithful shoulders for the young people around you — using a simple but unforgettable moment of lifting his son up to a basketball hoop as the entry point.

Drawing from 1 Timothy 4:12, Mark 10, and Matthew 11, this sermon explores three types of shoulders the next generation needs from us: strong shoulders that call them up, faith shoulders that make room for them to encounter Jesus, and shoulders yoked to Jesus that are healed and formed through intimacy with God.

You'll be challenged to reflect on the condition of your own heart — whether life's circumstances have made it old, hardened, or guarded — and invited to receive rest and renewal from Jesus before you pour into others.

Whether you're a parent, teacher, coach, pastor, or mentor, this message is for anyone who wants to leave a legacy that goes beyond what they accumulate and extends to who they lift up.

Big Idea: True legacy is not what you leave behind — it's who you lift up.

0:00 - Introduction: Basketball, Kids & Lifting Them Up

1:55 - The Bigger Picture: Standing on Someone Else's Shoulders

2:38 - Big Idea: True Legacy Is Who You Lift Up

3:54 - Biblical Examples of Passing the Torch

4:40 - Strong Shoulders: Call the Next Generation Up

5:03 - Paul's Letter to Timothy (1 Timothy 4:12)

6:39 - Correction With Calling vs. Correction That Crushes

7:02 - Practical Challenge: Speak Life Over Someone Younger

8:18 - Faith Shoulders: Make Room for the Next Generation

8:36 - Jesus and the Children (Mark 10)

10:19 - The Kingdom of God Belongs to Such as These

10:37 - Has Life Made Your Heart Old?

11:25 - Young at Heart: A Story From the Bahamas

13:43 - Wonder, Trust & the Childlike Kingdom of God

14:36 - Receiving From the Father vs. Achieving for the Father

16:26 - LVC Kids: Discipling, Not Babysitting

17:22 - Honoring Teachers: Your Influence Changes Legacies

18:23 - Youth Ministry & Creating Belonging for Teenagers

19:41 - Strong Shoulders Must Be Yoked to Jesus

20:03 - Your Shoulders Are Only as Strong as Your Intimacy With God

20:52 - For Those Who Never Had Shoulders to Stand On

21:45 - Jesus Invites the Weary to Come (Matthew 11)

24:05 - Jesus Wants to Work In You, Not Just Through You

25:33 - Why Daily Time With God Matters 28:17 - Whatever Is Forming You Will Flow Through You

29:19 - We Pass Down What We Carry

30:12 - Jesus Wants to Be Part of Your Life, Not Just Use It

30:44 - Let Jesus Heal Your Shoulders

31:27 - Altar Call: Bringing Your Tired, Wounded Shoulders to Jesus

32:07 - Come to Simon (Coming to Jesus First)

32:43 - Closing Prayer

Support the show

Made a decision to follow Jesus? We want to know about it! Fill out our connect card here: https://local.churchcenter.com/people/forms/115766

Thank you for your generosity. For information on how to give, visit https://localvineyard.church/give.

1. Description

What Do You Do When Doubt Is Louder Than Faith?

We've all been there — the moment when life doesn't go the way you prayed it would, and your doubts start drowning out your faith. In this message, we explore what it truly means to wrestle with God and still hold on.

Drawing from the Old Testament prophet Habakkuk, we uncover a third option beyond either denying your faith or burying your questions: you can doubt and keep seeking God. Habakkuk's name literally means "to wrestle and to embrace" — and that tension is exactly what authentic faith looks like.

In this message, you'll discover:

• Why doubt doesn't make you a bad Christian — it makes you human
• How honest, raw prayer can actually deepen your relationship with God
• What Habakkuk's journey from wondering → waiting → trusting teaches us about holding on through the hardest seasons
• Why God would rather have you yell at Him than walk away from Him
• How wrestling with God changes the way you walk — just ask Jacob

Whether you're in a hospital room, grieving a loss, questioning why God hasn't answered your prayers, or simply feeling like life's rounds are breaking you down — this message is for you.

Doubt isn't the enemy of faith. It's often the pathway to a deeper, more meaningful one.

Part of the series: The Benefit of Doubt, based on the book by Craig Groeschel.

2. Tags

faith doubt Christianity sermon church prayer Habakkuk Bible worship trust spirituality theology God Jesusencouragement hope healing belief discipleship scripture

3. Chapters

Support the show

Made a decision to follow Jesus? We want to know about it! Fill out our connect card here: https://local.churchcenter.com/people/forms/115766

Thank you for your generosity. For information on how to give, visit https://localvineyard.church/give.

What if Jesus' words "Why did you doubt?" weren't a rebuke but an invitation? In this message from the Benefit of Doubt series, we revisit the familiar story of Peter walking on water in Matthew 14 and discover something surprising: Jesus doesn't shame our doubt. He uses it to draw us closer to Himself. We also explore the raw, honest prayer of a desperate father in Mark 9 and what it reveals about how God meets us in our most uncertain moments. Whether you're wrestling with hard questions, carrying pain from the past, or simply wondering if God is really there, this message is an encouraging reminder that doubt is not the end of faith, but it can be the doorway to something deeper.

0:00 A missions trip, a girl, and a crisis of faith
1:57 Landing in Mexico with a broken heart
3:22 The Benefit of Doubt series introduction
4:06 Peter walks on water
5:19 What if "why did you doubt?" was an invitation?
6:43 Jesus reaches out
7:56 When the church responds with shame instead of grace
9:14 Jesus didn't humiliate Peter
10:10 Doubt is often connected to pain
11:28 Jesus moves toward the doubter with compassion
12:23 A father's desperate prayer
13:48 How we often pray
15:11 Hearing Jesus' response differently
15:41 "Help me overcome my unbelief"
16:29 Daily time with God through doubt
17:28 The relatability principle
18:41 Jesus' statement vs. Peter's "if"
19:59 Jesus' response to every "but what about..."
20:29 The real miracle
21:25 Closing prayer

Support the show

Made a decision to follow Jesus? We want to know about it! Fill out our connect card here: https://local.churchcenter.com/people/forms/115766

Thank you for your generosity. For information on how to give, visit https://localvineyard.church/give.

What do you do when you believe in God but still wrestle with doubt? In this message, Pastor Jacob opens up about the tension between faith and doubt, something every believer faces but few feel safe talking about. Walking through stories of biblical figures like Abraham, Gideon, John the Baptist, and Thomas, he reveals that doubt has always been part of the faith journey. Rather than being the enemy of faith, doubt is often a pathway to deeper, more meaningful belief. You'll discover why Jesus didn't shame His doubting disciples but instead entrusted them with the Great Commission, and what that means for you today. Whether you're navigating unanswered prayers, spiritual confusion, or watching someone you love wrestle with belief, this message will remind you that God meets you right where you are, doubts and all.

0:00 When you don't have easy answers
3:38 A pastor's honest struggle with doubt
7:09 Welcome to this message series
7:33 Doubt as a pathway to deeper faith
9:05 Biblical heroes who doubted
11:22 The disciples worshiped and some doubted
12:51 How Jesus responds to doubt
14:20 The Great Commission; doubts and all
16:07 Three big reasons we have doubt
17:08 Having "bend" in your faith
18:53 When your kids start asking real questions
21:58 The church should be the safest place to ask hard questions
23:07 Dignifying Thomas's doubts
26:01 Thomas came back
27:14 Jesus meets Thomas in his doubt
28:27 Doubting Thomas becomes faith-filled Thomas
29:31 Walking through the valley? Keep walking
31:38 Faith is an ongoing journey
32:21 Closing prayer

Support the show

Made a decision to follow Jesus? We want to know about it! Fill out our connect card here: https://local.churchcenter.com/people/forms/115766

Thank you for your generosity. For information on how to give, visit https://localvineyard.church/give.

When life knocks you down how do you get back up again? In this Easter message, we walk through the resurrection story in Matthew 28 and discover that getting back up doesn't start with strength or willpower. It starts with surrender. The women at the tomb were afraid yet filled with joy. The disciples worshiped yet still had doubts. And Jesus didn't push any of them away. He walked toward them and gave them purpose. Real faith isn't the absence of fear; it's the presence of Jesus in the middle of it. Whether you're carrying grief, wrestling with doubt, or unsure of your next step, this message is an invitation to start at the feet of Jesus and trust that He is with you always.

0:00 When life doesn't go according to plan
4:52 The Easter story
6:58 The women walk toward the tomb
9:15 Keep walking toward Jesus in your grief
11:21 Afraid yet filled with joy
13:55 Jesus appears
16:47 Getting back up starts with getting down
18:26 Start your day at the feet of Jesus
20:19 Worship replaces fear and reveals purpose
21:44 The enemy's counter-plan
24:16 The disciples worship with doubts
26:44 Doubt is not the opposite of faith
28:12 The Great Commission
30:53 "I am with you always"
32:04 Prayer and ministry time

Support the show

Made a decision to follow Jesus? We want to know about it! Fill out our connect card here: https://local.churchcenter.com/people/forms/115766

Thank you for your generosity. For information on how to give, visit https://localvineyard.church/give.

In Philippians 3, the Apostle Paul makes a radical claim: everything the world calls valuable is garbage compared to knowing Jesus. In this message from the "Invitation to Joy" series at Local Vineyard Church, we explore what it means to release the things the world says matter, redefine true success through the lens of God's Kingdom, and make Christ our greatest treasure. Paul had the perfect religious resume, yet he counted it all as loss for the surpassing worth of knowing Christ. Through the story of the rich young ruler and Paul's own transformation, we see that joy doesn't come from climbing higher but from getting lower and deeper in our relationship with God. When knowing God becomes our greatest pursuit, everything else finds its proper place. I can't change yesterday, I can't control tomorrow, but I can choose joy today.

0:00 The grossest thing ever
2:50 Paul says it's all garbage
5:17 Paul's impressive resume
6:59 True joy comes from knowing God
7:24 The principle of responsibility
9:51 Jesus invites us to know him
10:53 Release what the world says matters
12:07 Our prisons don't care about our accolades
14:05 Righteousness is received not achieved
15:20 The rich young ruler
17:46 Redefine what actually matters
18:51 The "when/then" mentality
20:35 God cares about the heart
21:03 The surpassing worth of knowing Christ
24:09 Intimate knowing — Adam knew Eve
25:01 The Kingdom flips everything upside down
27:01 What are you treating like treasure?
27:49 Christ as our greatest treasure
29:17 Losing vs. forfeiting your soul
31:14 Joy rooted in Christ not circumstances
33:20 Prayer and response

Support the show

Made a decision to follow Jesus? We want to know about it! Fill out our connect card here: https://local.churchcenter.com/people/forms/115766

Thank you for your generosity. For information on how to give, visit https://localvineyard.church/give.

What happens when your confidence is in the wrong place? In this message from our Invitation to Joy series through the book of Philippians, we explore Philippians 3:1–3 and the danger of misplaced spiritual confidence. The Apostle Paul warns the early church—and us—that trusting in religious performance instead of Christ always steals our joy. When we add anything to Jesus for our standing before God, we subtract from the freedom and joy He offers. Paul reveals that true belonging to God isn't marked by external rituals but by heart transformation through the Holy Spirit. This sermon unpacks what it means to "boast in Christ" practically by centering our days around Jesus through morning prayer, Scripture, and the ancient practice of the Prayer of Examen. Whether you're navigating a hard season or simply feeling the pressure to perform, this message is a reminder that confidence in the flesh creates pressure, but confidence in Christ creates joy.

0:00 Misplaced confidence
2:35 Philippians 3:1–3
3:53 Repetition is protection
5:19 Circumcision and the covenant
6:37 Jesus plus nothing equals everything
7:35 Religion trusts in performance
8:49 God cares about the heart, not the outside
11:04 The flesh vs. the Spirit
12:32 True worship is empowered by the Holy Spirit
13:39 Heart circumcision
15:27 The simplest prayer
17:18 The Spirit transforms, the flesh performs
18:40 What it means to boast in Christ
20:05 Center your day around Jesus
22:34 A simple daily rhythm: prayer, Scripture, journal
23:38 The Prayer of Examen
25:26 Rejoicing in the Lord through hard seasons
27:29 Confidence in Christ produces unshakable joy
28:19 Closing prayer

Support the show

Made a decision to follow Jesus? We want to know about it! Fill out our connect card here: https://local.churchcenter.com/people/forms/115766

Thank you for your generosity. For information on how to give, visit https://localvineyard.church/give.

What does real, biblical community actually look like? In this sermon from the "Invitation to Joy" series through Philippians, we explore Philippians chapter 2 and the examples of Paul, Timothy, and Epaphroditus. These are three people who show us what it means to stop doing life alone and start putting others first. Real community isn't perfect, and it isn't convenient, but rather, it's built on genuine care, mutual sacrifice, and a willingness to be known.

Discover why the people who give the most are often the most joyful, how showing up when it costs you something transforms your relationships, and why God designed us not for independence or dependence but for interdependence. Whether you're longing for deeper friendships, wrestling with loneliness, or wondering what it looks like to truly belong, this message will challenge you to stop waiting for community to come to you and become the community you're looking for.

0:00 Nobody Does Anything Great Alone
4:35 The Joy of Real Community
7:15 Real Community Requires Rare People
11:03 Tested and Approved Character
12:11 Be the Community You're Looking For
12:52 Why Putting Others First Brings Joy
15:57 Epaphroditus: A Regular Person Who Said Yes
16:40 Real Community Is Built on Sacrifice
20:29 Mutual Sacrifice in Relationships
21:32 Giving Shapes Our Identity in Christ
23:22 Showing Up When You Don't Feel Like It
25:01 Real Love Is Inconvenient
26:00 Real Community Multiplies Joy and Carries Grief
27:50 We Are Not Built to Be Alone
29:53 Honor the People Who Show Up for You
31:12 Being Known Requires Vulnerability
31:43 Weekly Challenge: Be a Timothy
34:08 Prayer and Ministry Time

Support the show

Made a decision to follow Jesus? We want to know about it! Fill out our connect card here: https://local.churchcenter.com/people/forms/115766

Thank you for your generosity. For information on how to give, visit https://localvineyard.church/give.