Venture Church Boston

04/03/2026

Good Friday
WHAT GOOD FRIDAY IS ALL ABOUT

Consequently, he [Jesus] is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them. (Hebrews 7:25)

The great passion of the writer of Hebrews is that we “draw near” to God (Hebrews 4:16, 7:25, 10:22, 11:6). Draw near to his throne to find all the help we need. Draw near to him, confident that he will reward us with all that he is for us in Jesus. And this is clearly what he means in Hebrews 10:22, because verse 19 says that we have confidence “to enter the holy place,” that is, the new heavenly “holy of holies,” like that inner room in the old tabernacle of the Old Testament where the high priest met with God once a year, and where his glory descended on the ark of the covenant.

So the one command, the one exhortation, that we are given in Hebrews 10:19–22 is to draw near to God. The great aim of this writer is that we get near God, that we have fellowship with him, that we not settle for a Christian life at a distance from God, that God not be a distant thought, but a near and present reality, that we experience what the old Puritans called communion with God.

This drawing near is not a physical act. It’s not building a tower of Babel, by your achievements, to get to heaven. It’s not necessarily going into a church building, or walking to an altar at the front. It is an invisible act of the heart. You can do it while standing absolutely still, or while lying in a hospital bed, or while sitting in a pew listening to a sermon.

Drawing near is not moving from one place to another. It is a directing of the heart into the presence of God who is as distant as the holy of holies in heaven, and yet as near as the door of faith. He is commanding us to come, to approach him, to draw near to him.

The Center of the Gospel
In fact, this is the very heart of the entire New Testament gospel, isn’t it? That Christ came into the world to make a way for us to come to God without being consumed in our sin by his holiness.

› “For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God” (1 Peter 3:18).

› “For through him [Christ] we both have access in one Spirit to the Father” (Ephesians 2:18).

› “We also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation” (Romans 5:11).

This is the center of the gospel—this is what the Garden of Gethsemane and Good Friday are all about—that God has done astonishing and costly things to draw us near. He has sent his Son to suffer and to die so that through him we might draw near. It’s all so that we might draw near. And all of this is for our joy and for his glory.

He does not need us. If we stay away he is not impoverished. He does not need us in order to be happy in the fellowship of the Trinity. But he magnifies his mercy by giving us free access through his Son, in spite of our sin, to the one Reality that can satisfy us completely and forever, namely, himself. “You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore” (Psalm 16:11).

Source: Piper, J. (2013). Love to the uttermost: devotional readings for holy week. Desiring God.

04/02/2026

Join us Tuesdays April 7-June 16 for ALPHA @6:30pm

Each week offers a free meal, friendship, and conversations about Jesus and what it really means to be Christian in 2026.

More info and registration:

https://www.ventureboston.org/connect/alpha/

04/02/2026

Easter changes everything.

Hope is alive.
New life is possible.
And it’s for you.

Join us this Easter at Venture Church as we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus—and what it means for your life today.

📍 April 5 @ 10AM
📍 Venture Church

Come as you are. Bring a friend.

04/02/2026

Maundy Thursday
THURSDAY OF THE COMMANDMENT

“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.” (John 13:34)

Today is Maundy Thursday. The name comes from the Latin mandatum, the first word in the Latin rendering of John 13:34, “A new commandment (mandatum novum) I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.” This commandment was given by Jesus on the Thursday before his crucifixion. So Maundy Thursday is the “Thursday of the Commandment.”

This is the commandment: “love one another: just as I have loved you.” But what about Galatians 5:14? “For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’” If the whole law is fulfilled in “Love your neighbor as yourself,” what more can “Love one another as Christ loved you” add to the fulfillment of the whole law?

I would say that Jesus did not replace or change the commandment, “Love your neighbor as you love yourself.” He filled it out and gave it clear illustration. He is saying,

Here is what I mean by “as yourself.” Watch me. I mean: Just as you would want someone to set you free from certain death, so you should set them free from certain death. That is how I am now loving you. My suffering and death is what I mean by ‘as yourself.’ You want life. Live to give others life. At any cost.

So John says, “By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers” (1 John 3:16). Was Jesus loving us “as he loved himself ”? Listen to what the apostle Paul wrote to the Ephesians 5:29–30, “No one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church, because we are members of his body.”

In the horrors of his suffering, Christ was sustained “by the joy that was set before him” (Hebrews 12:2). And that joy was the everlasting gladness of his redeemed people, satisfied in the presence of the risen king.

Therefore, let us see the greatest love in action on Maundy Thursday and tomorrow on Good Friday. “Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end” (John 13:1). He loved us to the uttermost. And let us be so moved by this love that it becomes our own. “He laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers.” This is the commandment. This is the Thursday.

Source: Piper, J. (2013). Love to the uttermost: devotional readings for holy week. Desiring God.

03/27/2026

Jesus went all the way for you. He’s inviting you to go all in with Him. Not alone. Not afraid. But empowered.

Join us for encouragement 10am Sunday March 29

03/07/2026

If you’ve been feeling tired, discouraged, or spiritually dry, we hope this message will encourage you. God’s river is still flowing—and His presence is closer than you think.

Join us this Sunday at 10:00 AM

02/26/2026

"Rivers of Promise - Crossing Into What God Has Prepared"

Have you ever felt like God has more for you—but there’s something standing in the way?

In the Bible, God’s people stood at the edge of the Jordan River with a promise in front of them and fear around them. The water didn’t part first. They had to step in before the miracle happened.

This Sunday, we’ll explore what it means to trust God when clarity hasn’t come yet—and how faith often grows in motion, not in comfort.

If you’ve been waiting, hesitating, or standing at the edge of a next step, this message is for you.

📍 Venture Church
🕙 Sunday at 10 AM
📖 Week 2: Rivers of Promise – Crossing Into What God Has Prepared

Come as you are. Bring a friend.
With God all things are possible.

02/20/2026

Have you ever wondered what would change if you truly believed Jesus brings abundant life?

Not just in theory — but in your finances, relationships, purpose, peace, and hope?

We’re launching a six-week experiment of faith in the abundance of God. Together, we’ll explore what it means to live from faith instead of fear.

Each week includes:
✔ A practical focus
✔ Scripture reflection
✔ A simple action step

If you’re ready to grow in faith and expectancy, comment below or send us a message.

12/14/2025

We are moving to ZOOM Sunday December 14

Join Venture on ZOOM on Sunday, December 14 at 10:00 AM for a powerful, uplifting message on the kind of JOY that doesn’t fade—because it’s rooted in something deeper than gifts, lights, or a perfect schedule.

Use the "SUNDAY ZOOM" link on our website:

Venture Church is a Spirit-filled Vineyard church with a 10am Sunday Gathering in Medford, MA. Kids program and Healing prayer every Sunday.