What do you do when someone has really hurt you? In the conclusion to our How to Be Courageous series, we discover that forgiveness is one of the most courageous things we'll ever do. Walking through Jesus' parable of the unforgiving servant, we learn why we forgive from a place of already being forgiven, why letting go is so much harder than "just letting it go," and how holding onto offense keeps us trapped rather than the person who hurt us.

Whether you're carrying a fresh hurt or a wound that's followed you for years, this message offers a practical, grace-filled path forward: name the hurt, remember the mercy you've received, and release the person to God. Forgiveness doesn't mean the pain wasn't real. It means you're ready to walk out of the prison and let God begin to heal your heart.

0:00 Concluding the Courage Series
2:21 Why We Forgive: Forgiven First
3:19 Why Forgiveness Takes Courage
6:12 Peter's Question: How Many Times?
8:20 The Parable of the Unforgiving Servant
14:44 Zach's Story: Freedom to Forgive
26:34 Giving Up the Judge's Seat
33:34 Three Movements and a Prayer to Close

Preached by Jacob Gaines on July 12, 2026 at Local Vineyard Church.

Watch the video and find more at https://localvineyard.church/messages/how-to-be-courageous/the-courage-to-forgive

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.

Jesus is often described as kind, gentle, and compassionate, but Scripture shows us another side just as true: Jesus was fierce. In this message from our summer miniseries How to Be Courageous, we walk through John chapter 2, where Jesus clears the temple courts, and discover what fierce love really looks like. This isn't anger or impulsiveness. It's love that refuses to stay passive about what matters most.

Learn how fierce courage sees the barriers keeping people from God, refuses to call brokenness "normal," and always makes a way back to the Father. We'll explore why real courage is developed privately before it's ever displayed publicly, how to fight for your marriage, your kids, and your faith, and what it means that your own body is now a temple of the Holy Spirit. If there's a table that needs flipping in your heart, this message is an invitation to let Jesus clear it out.

0:00 A Lesson in Courage
2:30 Jesus Was Fierce
9:09 John 2: Jesus Enters the Temple
14:56 Fierce Love Refuses to Stay Passive
18:58 What Consumes You?
23:07 Fierce Love Makes a Way
26:35 You Are the Temple Now
30:17 Response and 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.

In this message from Local Vineyard Church, Pastor Jacob kicks off a brand-new three-part summer series, How to Be Courageous, with a powerful look at what real courage looks like. Courage is trusting Jesus enough to take the next right step while fear is staring you in the face.

Through the story of the woman with the issue of blood in Mark 5, we see a person who had suffered for twelve years—physically, relationally, socially, and spiritually—yet found the courage to push through the crowd and reach for Jesus. Her story shows us that courage faces what fear tells us to hide, courage moves through what stands in the way, and courage lets Jesus rewrite our story.

If you're carrying something heavy, hiding pain behind a smile, or believing the labels that fear has placed on you, this message is an invitation to stop hiding and start moving toward the One who heals. You were made to do hard things, and you don't have to do them alone.

0:00 Brave Kids, Different Fears
3:22 Introducing How to Be Courageous
6:19 A Woman Facing the Impossible (Mark 5)
13:35 Courage Faces What Fear Tells You to Hide
18:15 Courage Means You Have to Get Up
23:44 The Difference Between Near and Reaching
28:24 Daughter, Your Faith Has Made You Well
29:38 Closing Prayer & 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.

Are you reacting to pressure or responding to God? In this Father's Day message from Acts 16, we look at the Philippian jailer, an everyday man under crushing work pressure who nearly ended his life because of one assumption. But when grace interrupted him, everything changed. His worst moment became the turning point for his entire household. This sermon explores how our real character is revealed not in our intentions but in the way we respond. Learn the difference between reacting out of panic and pausing long enough to hear God's voice. Your failure is not final, and you were never meant to carry the weight of life alone. When one person surrenders to God, it can shift the atmosphere of an entire home.

0:00 Father's Day Dad Jokes
2:31 What Fatherhood Teaches Us
5:16 Where Pressure Shows Up in Our Lives
9:39 Midnight Worship in the Prison
16:52 The Posture of Surrender
18:15 When Identity Crumbles Under Pressure
24:49 The God-Sized Hole in Every Heart
32:29 Prayer and Invitation

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.

Have you ever prayed for something with everything in you and nothing happened? In this message from our series "Everyday Presence: Life with the Holy Spirit," we explore what it means to trust God when healing doesn't come the way we expect. Walking through two powerful stories in Acts 9, we wrestle with the tension every believer faces: God still heals today, but sometimes He doesn't, at least not right away. Featuring a personal testimony about navigating chronic illness, unanswered prayer, and discovering that God isn't waiting at the finish line, but He's running the race with you. Whether you're in a miracle moment or a mourning moment, this message will encourage you to keep praying, keep believing, and to experience the presence of the Holy Spirit right in the middle of your waiting.

0:00 When Prayers Go Unanswered
1:06 The Holy Spirit as Healer
4:09 The Healing of Aeneas
7:45 From Miracle to Mourning
9:45 Michelle Far's Testimony
21:51 Faith Doesn't Erase Grief
29:33 Living in the Already and Not Yet

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 it look like to follow the Holy Spirit in the middle of your normal, everyday routine? In this message from the series "Everyday Presence: Life with the Holy Spirit," we walk through Acts chapter 3 and discover that the most powerful moments with God often start in the most ordinary circumstances. Peter and John weren't chasing a dramatic experience; they were simply walking to prayer. But when the Holy Spirit nudged them to stop, notice, and act, an ordinary day became the setting for an extraordinary miracle. This message explores how we can learn to recognize the Holy Spirit's nudges in our daily lives at work, at home, and in our relationships, and what it means to move from noticing to obeying with courage, even when the outcome is uncertain.

0:00 Introduction to the Everyday Presence Series
2:05 Peter and John's Ordinary Routine
6:04 Recognizing the Holy Spirit in Ordinary Moments
11:45 From Noticing to Obedience
18:02 Trusting God with the Outcomes
22:47 Practical Ways to Follow the Nudge This Week
25:00 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.

How do we hear from God when life is loud and our schedules are overflowing? In this message, Erin Gaines explores four practical ways to hear God's voice in everyday life. Drawing from personal stories and the powerful account of Peter and Cornelius in Acts 10, Erin shows how building a daily connection with God transforms the way we parent, navigate relationships, and respond to the people around us. Whether you're in a busy season or searching for your next step, this message will encourage you to slow down, tune in, and discover what God is already saying. Learn how to discern when God is speaking, how to respond even when it's uncomfortable, and why a word from God always calls people up and never tears them down.

0:00 A chaotic week and the struggle to hear God
6:09 Why hearing starts with slowing down
9:20 Creating space to hear God's voice
14:53 Finding your place to meet with God
18:52 Learning to recognize your Father's voice
23:12 Discerning when to speak for God
28:56 The story of Peter and Cornelius
36:35 Closing challenge and 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 hits you with something you didn't see coming what comes out of you reveals what's been formed in you. In this message, we look at Luke 7 and the story of the Roman centurion whose faith made Jesus stop in His tracks and marvel, "I have not found such great faith even in Israel." What was it about this man that caused Jesus to pause? And how do we develop a faith like his? Discover what it means to surrender control to the Holy Spirit, detach from a spirit of entitlement, and trust the authority of God's Word even when you don't understand His activity.

0:00 - Life's Pop Quizzes
2:27 - The Holy Spirit Forms Us
5:21 - Surrendering Instead of Running
8:12 - The Centurion's Story (Luke 7)
11:25 - Faith That Expects Yes, Endures No
17:42 - Detaching from Entitlement
21:02 - You Can't Earn a Miracle
24:41 - Just Say the Word
26:37 - All Authority Belongs to Jesus
30:18 - Come, Holy Spirit

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.