A Closer Look
Valley Center Community Church
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S2E78 Ep 78 | 1 John | Vital Signs of a True Believer: Am I Alive in Christ?
In this episode of A Closer Look, Pastors Jason and David unpack a message on 1 John, exploring how believers can have real assurance of salvation. They walk through three “vital signs” of genuine…
S2E77 Ep 77 | Luke 24:13-35 | Encountering the Risen Lord (Pt. 1)
In this episode of A Closer Look, Pastor Jason and Dave reflect on the road to Emmaus passage and the importance of asking better questions in our relationships, communication, and spiritual growth.…
S2E76 Ep 76 | Luke 23:50-24:12 | The Resurrection of Jesus Christ
In this episode of A Closer Look, Pastor Jason and Dave reflect on Easter weekend at Valley Center Community Church. They revisit a unique Good Friday service focused on the words of Jesus from the…
S2E75 Ep 75 | Luke 23:39-49 | Jesus On the Cross (Pt. 2)
In this episode of A Closer Look, Pastors Jason Smith and David Wojnicki reflect on the sermon surrounding Jesus’ crucifixion in the Gospel of Luke, unpacking powerful themes of forgiveness,…
S2E74 Ep 74 | Luke 23:26-38 | Jesus On the Cross (Pt. 1)
In this episode of A Closer Look, Jason Smith and David Wojnicki go deeper into Luke 23, reflecting on the sobering reality of Jesus’ journey to the cross and the significance of His suffering. They…
S2E73 Ep 73 | Consider the Lilies: God's Solution to Worry
In this episode, the team dives deeper into Sunday’s message on “Consider the Lilies” and God’s solution to worry. They explore the difference between healthy concern and sinful anxiety, how fear…
S2E72 Ep 72 | The Rooster, the Trial, and the Quiet Hours of Jesus’ Suffering
In this episode of A Closer Look, Jason and David reflect on Luke 22—Jesus’ betrayal, Peter’s denial, and the suffering surrounding His arrest and trial. They discuss the powerful image of the…
S2E71 Ep 71 | Jesus in Agony: Prayer, Temptation, and the Garden
In this episode of Closer Look from Valley Center Community Church, Pastors Jason Smith and David Wojnicki discuss Luke 22, focusing on Jesus praying in the garden, prayer as a weapon against…
S2E70 Ep 70 | New Pastor on Staff + How Christians Fight Temptation + The Lord's Prayer
This week on A Closer Look, we welcome David Baker—newly installed elder and now part of the pastoral staff at VCCC. Dave shares his story (corporate finance to ministry), his heart for serving the…
S1E69 Ep 69 | Who’s the Greatest? Humility, Service, and Heaven’s Rewards
On A Closer Look, Pastors Jason Smith and David Wojnicki unpack the disciples’ dispute over “who is the greatest” in Luke 22. They discuss how self-exaltation shows up in everyday life, what it means…
S2E68 Ep 68 | The Bread and the Cup: Jesus Redefines the Passover (Luke 21)
Jason and David unpack Sunday’s sermon on the Passover: the meaning of unleavened bread, why Jesus chose bread for communion, and how the Lord’s Supper points forward to the marriage supper of the…
Ep 67 | No Temple Needed: Jesus Is Enough (Luke 21:25-38)
In this episode of A Closer Look, Pastors Jason and David talk through Luke 21 and the destruction of the temple—why it was both judgment for rejecting Christ and mercy to end the sacrificial system…
S2E66 Ep 66 | The Temple, the End, and Faithful Living (Luke 21:5-24)
In this episode, Pastors Jason and David talk through Jesus’ words in Luke 21 and why they matter for the church today. The conversation focuses on how to read passages about judgment, suffering, and…
S2E65 Ep 65 | Two Paths: Living and Thriving in Psalm 1
In the first episode of 2026, Jason Smith sits down with Pastor David to reflect on Sunday’s sermon from Psalm 1—a timely “reset” after the holidays and a season of sickness. David explains why Psalm…
S2E64 Ep 64 | Why Jesus Came: To Reveal the Truth (John 18) — Christ the King
Pastor David Wojnicki returns from sabbatical and joins Jason Smith for a conversation around his Advent message in the “Why Jesus Came” series: Jesus came to reveal the truth (John 18). They unpack…
S2E63 Ep 63 | Why Jesus Came: Delivered from Darkness
In this episode of A Closer Look, Jason Smith is joined by elder and Pastor of Congregational Care, John Walters, to reflect on Sunday’s Advent sermon in the series Why Jesus Came. John shares his…
S2E62 Ep 62 | Why Jesus Came: Obedience, Adoption, and the Hope of Advent
In this Advent kickoff episode, Jason Smith sits down with John Wojnicki to unpack the first message in our series, Why Jesus Came. John preached on Christ’s purpose “to do the Father’s will,”…
S2E61 Ep 61 | Holy in Christ: Growing in Our Set-Apart Identity (Romans 12:1-2)
In this third week of our In Christ series, Pastor Paul and Pastor Jason talk through what it really means to be holy in Christ. They unpack sanctification, our “set-apart” identity, and how we grow…
S2E60 Ep 60 | Saints or Sinners: Your New Identity in Christ (Romans 6:1–4)
In this episode, Pastors Jason Smith and Paul Behneman dive deeper into what it truly means to be new in Christ. Building on Paul’s sermon from Romans 6:1–4, they discuss the believer’s identity as a…
S2E59 Ep 59 | Blessed in Christ: Identity and Assurance (Ephesians 1:3-14)
In this episode of A Closer Look, Pastor Jason Smith sits down with Pastor Paul Behneman to reflect on Paul’s message from Ephesians 1:3–14, “Blessed in Christ.” Together they discuss what it means…
Frequently Asked Questions
A Closer Look has published 79 episodes since October 2023, covering topics in Christianity, Religion.
A Closer Look is currently highly active with new episodes weekly. Average episode length is 18m.
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