Victory Life Church

04/05/2026

Happy Resurrection Sunday VL Fam🥳✝️🙌🏼😍

04/03/2026

BEHOLD, THE MAN. BEHOLD, YOUR KING.
Holy Week || Good Friday || Pastor Josh

(John 19:5, 14)
Let’s reflect on a scene from the Gospel of John.
Jesus has been flogged. His back is torn open. His face is swollen past recognition. The soldiers have dressed him in a purple robe as a cruel joke and pressed a crown of thorns onto his head until the blood runs down. And then Pilate steps out before the crowd and says three words:
“Behold the man.”

He means it as mockery. Look at this pathetic figure. This is what happens to men who call themselves kings. But John is highlighting something else entirely with those words. This is an announcement that Pilate cannot begin to understand.
Behold the man.

Every human being was made to bear the image of God, to reflect his goodness and glory into creation. But every one of us has fallen tragically short of that purpose. We know it. We feel the weight of it. But standing there before that howling crowd, beaten and bleeding and still somehow unbroken, is the one person in all of human history who never failed. The
Word made flesh. Fully God and fully man.
Pilate speaks again, with even more contempt:
“Behold your King.”

What Pilate cannot see is that he is telling the truth. The cross they are about to nail Jesus to is, in John’s Gospel, a throne. The crown draws blood, yes, but it is still a crown. The coronation is happening through ex*****on. This King wins not by overpowering his
enemies but by absorbing their worst and refusing to be anything less than perfect love. He goes to the cross willingly. Nobody takes his life from him. He said so himself: “I lay down my life of my own accord.” This is not a tragedy that spiraled out of control. It is a
mission, carried out deliberately, at the appointed time, by the only One in history with both the authority and the love to see it through.
And at the very end, He speaks his last words:
“It is finished.”

Not the last breath of a defeated man. This is the declaration of a King who has done exactly what he came to do, fully and finally. The Lamb of God, announced by John the Baptist at the very opening of the book of John, is sacrificed at the very hour the passover lambs were being slaughtered in the temple courts. The mission is complete. The work is done.
And because it is finished, it stays finished-permanently.

How can a dark day like this be called “Good Friday? On that day, God was not losing. The King was not being dethroned. He was being enthroned, with his arms stretched wide to receive all who would come within reach of his saving embrace.

Behold the Man. Behold your King. Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.

A PRAYER FOR GOOD FRIDAY
Lord Jesus, today we stop and we remember. We behold you: beaten, bleeding, crowned with thorns, lifted up on the cross. We will not rush past this to Sunday. We want to stand here for a moment and let the weight of it settle on us.
We behold you, Lamb of God, whose sacrifice covers our failure. We receive what you finished. We have nothing to add to it. We only open our hands, and our
hearts, and say thank you.
It is finished. And it is enough.
Amen.

“Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.”
— John 13:1

04/02/2026

THE LAST SUPPER - MAUNDY THURSDAY
Holy Week || Thursday || Pastor Zach

04/01/2026

SPY WEDNESDAY
Holy Week || Wednesday || Pastor Colton

Spy Wednesday invites us into a sobering moment in Holy Week—a moment where betrayal begins to
take shape. In Luke 22, we see Judas, one of the twelve disciples, quietly arranging to hand Jesus over
to authorities. What’s striking is not just the act itself, but how ordinary it seems at first. The city is preparing for Passover, people are busy with tradition and celebration, and yet beneath the surface, a
heart has already begun to drift. Judas’ betrayal didn’t start with silver—it started with subtle
compromise.

Scripture gives us clues into that drift. Judas had been stealing (John 12:6), he loved money (Matthew
26:15), and eventually, Satan found a foothold (Luke 22:3). But this wasn’t sudden—it was gradual. A
slow turning of the heart. And that’s where this story meets us. Most of us won’t wake up and openly
reject Jesus—but we can slowly replace Him. We can begin to prioritize comfort over obedience,
success over surrender, and self over Christ. The danger isn’t always rebellion—it’s drift.

That’s why Scripture calls us to guard our hearts. In Proverbs 4, we’re told that our hearts are the
wellspring of life. Everything flows from it—our thoughts, desires, decisions, and direction. If the heart drifts, everything else follows. Judas didn’t guard his heart, and over time, it led him further than he likely ever intended to go. We live in a world where our hearts are constantly pulled in different
directions, and if we are not intentional, we will drift without even realizing it.

The deeper issue in Judas’ story is this—he was close to Jesus, but he wasn’t surrendered to Him.
Søren Kierkegaard, a Danish theologian, said:
“The admirer never makes any true sacrifices. He always plays it safe. Though in words, phrases, songs, he is inexhaustible about how highly he prizes Christ, he renounces nothing, gives up nothing, will not reconstruct his life, will not be what he admires.”
As Kierkegaard observed, Jesus calls followers, not admirers. Judas admired Jesus—he walked with
Him, listened to Him, and witnessed His power—but he never fully gave his life to Him. And the same
can be true for us. We can sing, serve, attend, and still keep parts of our lives untouched by Jesus.

Admiration is safe. Following is costly.

Spy Wednesday ultimately brings us to a question: what is Jesus worth to you? Judas traded Him for
silver—but we often trade Him for lesser things: comfort, control, reputation, or convenience. Yet unlikeJudas, we are invited to return. Peter also failed, but he came back. And so can we. Today is an
invitation—not to condemnation, but to surrender.
To stop drifting, to guard our hearts, and to move
from admiration to true, costly, life-giving discipleship.

Prayer

Father, Would you search my heart and reveal where I have begun to drift. Show me the places where I have
chosen comfort over obedience, and where I have admired You without truly following You. I don’t want
to just know about You—I want to be surrendered to You. Guard my heart, Lord. Protect it from compromise, distraction, and the subtle pull of lesser things. Give me the courage to release anything I’ve placed above You, and the faith to follow wherever You lead. Thank You that even when I fail, You invite me back. Help me to return quickly, to walk closely with You, and to live a life that is fully Yours.
In Jesus name,
Amen.

03/31/2026

A Fruitless Tree, A Faithless House of Prayer,
and Redemption Through King Jesus

Holy Week || Tuesday || Pastor Audrie

In Mark 11:1–10, we witness one of the most powerful moments in the Gospels — Jesus entering Jerusalem in triumph. The crowds are overjoyed, crying out, "Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David! Hosanna in the highest!" The people seem to be all in, ready to crown Him King.

Yet in verse 11, something quietly significant happens: Jesus enters the temple and surveys everything He sees — taking in the full weight of what God's house had become — and then quietly leaves with His disciples.

A Strange Curse (Vs. 12–14)
The next morning, Jesus passes a fig tree in full leaf — the kind that should have fruit. But when He
looks closer, He finds nothing. So He speaks over it: "May no one ever eat fruit from you again."
Why would Jesus curse a tree for not having fruit? This moment isn't really about a fig tree. It's a
living parable pointing to something much deeper.

A Corrupted House (Vs. 15–17)
Mark sandwiches the fig tree story around the cleansing of the temple — and that's no accident.
Jesus enters the temple courts, finds them full of merchants and money-changers, and declares: "My
house will be called a house of prayer for all nations — but you have made it a den of robbers."
The temple was meant to be a place of genuine communion with God. But Jesus found it hollowed
out — full of religious activity, yet empty of real faith. Impressive on the outside, fruitless at its
core. Just like the fig tree.

Faith, Prayer, and Forgiveness (Vs. 20–25)
The next morning the fig tree has withered to its roots. But rather than leaving His disciples in that
heaviness, Jesus turns it into an invitation:
"Have faith in God… Whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses."
Where there was a fruitless tree and a faithless temple, Jesus points toward something new — a life
rooted in faith, nourished by prayer, and freed through forgiveness.

The Ultimate Sacrifice
Here is the breathtaking good news: Jesus, the One with every right to pronounce judgment, instead
bore that judgment Himself. He suffered the consequences our faithlessness deserved, becoming the final perfect sacrifice — opening the way for every person to enter the presence of God.

Because of Him, we are no longer a corrupted temple. We are His house.

Reflection & Prayer
Take a few moments to read slowly and prayerfully through 2 Corinthians 5:1, 17–19, 21 (ESV):
"For we know that if the tent that is our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from
God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens… Therefore, if anyone is in Christ,
he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God,
who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is,
in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them,
and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. For our sake he made him to be sin who
knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God."

Let's Pray Together
Jesus, we repent for the times we have been faithless and fruitless — full of the appearance of faith but hollow on the inside. Thank You for loving us enough to pay the full price of sin, opening the way for true and eternal communion with You.
Make us Your devoted church — not people of empty words, but a faithful, fruit-bearing people who reflect who You truly are. We love You, Jesus, and we want our whole lives to bring You glory.
In Your mighty and holy name.
Amen

03/30/2026

CLEANSING THE TEMPLE — PREPARING THE HEART
Holy Week || Monday || Pastor Landon

Holy Week invites us to slow down and behold Jesus—not just what He did, but how He prepared His heart for what was ahead.

In John 12:1–11, we see Jesus in Bethany being anointed by Mary. While others questioned the moment, Jesus recognized it—this was preparation. Before the cross, before the weight of the world’s sin, there was intentional surrender, focus, and alignment with the Father.

And then we see another moment.
In John 2:14–16, Jesus enters the temple and finds it filled with things that don’t belong—distraction, corruption, noise. And He drives them out.
“Take these things away; do not make my Father’s house a house of trade.”
This wasn’t random.
This was intentional.
Because what is meant to be holy had become crowded.
And these two moments belong together:
Preparation… and cleansing.

Before Jesus confronts what is out of place,
He is aligned in His heart.
And the invitation for us is the same.
Psalm 139:23–24 says:
“Search me, O God, and know my heart… see if there is any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” Holy Week is not just about remembering what Jesus did—it’s about allowing Him to search us.

We take time to examine:
• Is there fear I’ve been carrying?
• Is there anxiety I’ve normalized?
• Are there thoughts that have elevated themselves above truth?

2 Corinthians 10:3–5 reminds us we can take every thought captive and bring it into alignment with Christ. And we do this from a place of peace, not pressure. Because God is not limited like we are.
He is the Creator of time, space, and matter.
He is not bound by time or overwhelmed by what overwhelms us.

Psalm 131 reminds us:
“I do not occupy myself with things too great and too marvelous for me.”
There is a holy simplicity in trusting God.
And from that place—
a surrendered heart,
a clear mind,
a life aligned—
we allow Jesus to cleanse the temple.
Not just a building…
But our lives.
Our hearts.
Our homes.
Our families.
Our church.
And even the culture around us.

Because whatever we allow in the temple…
eventually shapes the presence we carry.
And we are called to carry His presence.
We don’t bring anxiety into the world—
we bring peace.
We don’t bring confusion—
we bring truth.
We don’t bring compromise—
we bring the culture of the Kingdom of Heaven.

PRAYER
Jesus, As we enter this Holy Week,
we slow down to behold You.
Search our hearts.
Reveal anything that does not belong—
fear, anxiety, pride, or distraction.
We surrender it to You.
Teach us to take every thought captive
and align it with Your truth.
Remind us that You are not limited—
You are the Creator of all things,
and we can trust You fully.
Cleanse our hearts like You cleansed the temple.
Restore what is holy within us.
And from that place,
let us carry Your presence—
into our homes,
our relationships,
our church,
and our world.
We choose Your peace.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen.

03/30/2026

Our Prayer Room || Father, may our house always be a house of prayer🙏🏽

This space had been interceded over, prepared and designed with you in mind! With prophetic art from local artists, interactive spaces for reflection, the table of communion & times of group prayer. Let this be an invitation to your heart to slow down this week and intentionally lean in! (*You can see the Prayer Room hours on the last photo. Enter under the West awning/kids entrance)

03/29/2026

Today, Palm Sunday, marks the beginning of Holy Week! We desire to seek Jesus wholeheartedly, grow deeper in our revelation of Him, and realign our hearts in this Easter season.

This week, be on the lookout for a daily written devotional from some of our VL Pastors!

COSTLY WORSHIP🙌🏼🏺
~Pastor Jordan

When we read the story of the woman at Bethany (John 12:1–8), we can see many different things at play—the anointing of Jesus before His death, the greed of Judas as he remarks on what he sees as waste, and the thing I would like to focus on today:
a costly act of worship.

To bring some perspective, the amount this perfume would cost in today’s economy would be between $40,000–$70,000. And she didn’t just open it and pour out a little—she broke the jar (Mark 14:3) and poured it out. To the point that “the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.”

Judas even objected, saying, “Why wasn’t this perfume sold and the money given to the poor?”
Obviously, this was scandalous to many in the room—except Jesus. To Him, it was a beautiful act of worship. Costly worship. The kind of worship that doesn’t care who is watching, what is happening, or where we are. In those moments, all that matters is King Jesus.

When everything in our lives is going well, it’s easy to worship. We can sing songs, raise our hands, and shout for joy because everything feels good. But what about when we are in the valley? In the middle of financial trouble, the death of a loved one, or a scary diagnosis—how do we worship then?

We can worship because Jesus has walked through suffering Himself. When He went to the cross, He took our place. Our Lord is not a distant deity who demands worship or an unfeeling idol—He is the living, breathing Word of God. The Prince of Peace. His love was fully displayed when He willingly took our place and died a sinner’s death on a cross. He is worthy of our worship because He first loved us so radically, so sacrificially, that now—by grace through faith—we are saved from the sting of death. Hallelujah!

So today, as we begin Holy Week, my prayer is that we, as followers of Jesus, would live lives marked by costly worship. That we would not hold back the praise, honor, and glory He so richly deserves. That we would come as we are and give our whole selves to the One who gave everything for us.

I pray that you are blessed, so that you may be a blessing.

Palm Sunday Prayer 🙏🏽
Heavenly Father, we desire to be people who are known for our costly worship. To be so radically in
love with and devoted to You that we can't help but worship You. King Jesus, You paid it all for us, and for that we say thank You. Thank You for Your great sacrifice and the freedom it has provided.
We ask now that You would move mightily in us and through us so that we can walk fully in the purpose You have called us to.
Amen.

03/11/2026

“We exist to see people transformed by Jesus.”

It’s all of us, “we” are the people!
A great step in integrating that transformation into daily life can be found in our weekly Ingegration Guide. This resource can be used for personal study or group discussion & is helpful for digging deeper into the word!

Follow the link below for the Integration Guide for ‘Behold the Lamb: part 3’⬇️

https://durant.victorylife.media/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2026/03/Behold-the-Lamb-Part-3.pdfr

03/05/2026

Recorded sessions from this year’s Warrior Women’s Conference are live!

Tune in below! 🥳

This year’s Women’s Conference centers on the theme “Prayer & Presence,” inspired by Psalm 86:11–12. Women will gather to deepen their relationship with the ...

02/28/2026

Warrior Women’s Conference 2026 is in the books!