The Vertical Teaching Podcast features the weekly teaching from Vertical Church. Each episode is rooted in Scripture and designed to help you encounter God, follow Jesus, and experience freedom. Through clear, biblical teaching, we open God’s Word together and explore what it means to live as disciples of Jesus in everyday life. Whether you’re catching up on a Sunday you missed or revisiting a message to go deeper, these teachings will help you grow in faith, align your life with the truth of Scripture, and live a life that is vertical toward God and outward toward others.
Publisher
Vertical Church
Category
education · religion & spirituality · society & culture
Death Is Not The End | John 11:17-27 | Nathan Hughes
Death is a reality we all face, yet for many of us, it’s a subject filled with fear, uncertainty, and pain. So how do we face death, walk through grief, and find peace when we lose someone we love?
In John 11, Jesus meets Martha in the middle of her grief after the death of her brother, Lazarus. Through this powerful encounter, we discover that Jesus doesn’t ask us to ignore our pain or pretend that grief doesn’t hurt. Instead, He meets us in our sorrow and reminds us of the hope we have in Him.
For those who belong to Jesus, death is not the end of the story. Because He is the resurrection and the life, we can grieve with hope, live with confidence, and look forward to the day when God will make all things new. One day, there will be no more death, mourning, crying, or pain.
Until then, we are called to love one another, walk alongside those who are hurting, and help one another find our way home.
Death is not the end of the story. It’s just the beginning of being home.
5 Oct 2026
You’re Not the Center | Welcome Home (Part 4) | Vertical Church
Scripture: John 13:1–35
What happens after we encounter Jesus?
Throughout this series, we’ve seen people searching for a place that feels like home. Nicodemus searched through religion. The Samaritan woman searched through relationships. The man at Bethesda had spent decades trapped by his circumstances and excuses.
Each of them found what they were looking for in Jesus.
But Jesus doesn’t simply welcome us home and leave us there. He gives us a new purpose: to help others find their way home.
In John 13, on the night before the cross, Jesus kneels to wash His disciples’ feet. Then He gives them a command:
“Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.” — John 13:34
Jesus becomes our standard for what love looks like. It serves. It sacrifices. It moves toward people. And Jesus says this kind of love will become one of the clearest ways the world recognizes His followers.
Christianity is not just about what Jesus does for me; it becomes about what Jesus wants to do through me.
Your story can become somebody else’s invitation.
Your healing can become someone else’s hope.
Your life can become evidence that Jesus still transforms lives.
When Jesus welcomes us home, we do the same for others.
We love people.
We serve people.
We invite people.
We point people to Jesus by loving them like Jesus.
Let’s make heaven crowded.
Connect with Vertical Church and discover more ways to Encounter God, Follow Jesus, Experience Freedom, and Make an Impact.
28 Sept 2026
When Your Story Becomes Your Excuse | John 5:1-9 | Nathan Hughes
What does it actually mean to follow Jesus—even when you’ve felt stuck for years?
In Week 3, “Get Up,” we explore John 5:1–9, where Jesus encounters a man who has been unable to walk for thirty-eight years. His question—“Do you want to get well?”—invites us to consider whether we’re willing to trust Him with a different future.
Our pain is real, but it doesn’t have to become our entire identity. Following Jesus means trusting His word and responding in obedience, even before we understand what comes next. The power to change comes from Him.
Jesus meets us where we are, but if we are willing, He doesn’t leave us where we are.
Scripture: John 5:1–9
Message: Get Up | Week 3
What next step is Jesus calling you to take?
Who has been a guest on Vertical+ Podcast
Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.
Nick Hughes
Trea Futral
Noelle Stanley
Brad Grohovsky
Emily Grohovsky
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
Apple Podcasts (US)
5.0 / 5
12 ratings
Spotify
5.0 / 5
5 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 65 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
97
Social presence
0
YouTube
0
Engagement
82
Contact Vertical+ Podcast
Guest appearances
Books guests
Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.
Questions about Vertical+ Podcast
Who hosts Vertical+ Podcast?
Nathan Hughes host the show. Published by Vertical Church.
How often do new episodes come out?
The show publishes weekly, based on its RSS feed.
Does Vertical+ Podcast take guests?
Yes. Guests have been identified in episode analyses.
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