Pastor B Advent, Winter

Advent Day 2

Hope: Week One – Day Two

Oh, that you would tear open the heavens and come down, so that the mountains would quake at your presence. – Isaiah 64:1 (NRSV)

This verse is a passionate prayer that God would interrupt the whole world. The imagery is violent and startling. If God were to act like this, there would be no denying who was in charge. The speaker is asking God to storm onto the stage in the middle of the play. God is the director. God is in charge. If things are going awry then it is God who should jump in and make things right.

But, if any director were to jump on stage in the middle of the play, then the play would be over. The only time you see the director is at the curtain call. Instead, God chose to enter the play as an actor. He came to us as a little child. A helpless baby born in a barn to a poor family.

Why might God have chosen this particular method? Why would God hold off on the big flashy entrance and come to Earth as a humble child? Well, one reason might be that if God came with thunder and lightning, there would be no need for faith. Everyone would be forced to acknowledge God as King, and God would not be sure who really wanted an authentic relationship with Him.

God might also be trying to teach us something about who Jesus is and who we are supposed to be. We are not supposed to go through the world throwing our weight around and lording over people. As Jesus followers, we are to be humble like Jesus, treating everyone as our neighbors.

Now, this prayer from Isaiah is still really helpful. It is a hopeful cry for God to act. Whenever we see terrible things on the news or we’ve experienced some evil, we should pray asking God to intervene in a big way. The amazing thing about God is that He is planning on coming back in a big way to right all wrongs and save His people. God has promised to someday jump on stage and make things right. When we reach the curtain call of this life, God will make a big appearance and things will be made right.

Pastor B Advent, Winter

Advent Devo Day 1

Hope: Week One – Day One

A voice cries out: “In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God. – Isaiah 40:3 (NRSV)

Maybe you have heard this passage before. It is repeated in the Gospels and used to describe the ministry of John the Baptist. John was a prophet sent ahead of Jesus to prepare the way for Him. He lived in the wilderness near the Jordan River and people came from all around to hear him and be baptized. John called people to repent and get their hearts right because he knew that the Messiah of God was coming soon.

Advent is the season before Christmas in which we are supposed to prepare our hearts for Christ just like John did two thousand years ago. We are invited to take time for reflection and prayer. We are called to cultivate anticipation in our souls through worship and studying the Bible. We are encouraged to sit quietly and remember what Jesus means for our lives.

The thing is, while God is asking us to prepare our hearts for Jesus, the world is asking us to prepare our homes for Christmas. There are gifts to buy, halls to deck, presents to wrap, lights to string, cookies to bake, and carols to sing. There is so much to keep us busy and distracted that we might miss Jesus when He shows up.

So how should we prepare our hearts for Jesus this Advent? Here are a few ideas: participate in some charity work in your community, attend a special Christmas service with your family, or spend some extra time in prayer or reading your Bible alone or with some close friends. And of course, following this devotion series is something that will help too.

Believe me, Christmas morning is so much sweeter when we welcome the day having prepared for Jesus.

Pastor B Fall, My Life, New Normal Covid-19, Oakwood, Parent Cue, Students

Worried Series – Failure

DO YOU FEEL LIKE A FAILURE TODAY?

As Paul writes to his younger companion, he relays various “trustworthy sayings” to Timothy.

2 Timothy 2

11 The saying is trustworthy, for:

If we have died with him, we will also live with him;

12 if we endure, we will also reign with him;

if we deny him, he also will deny us;

13 if we are faithless, he remains faithful—for he cannot deny himself.

Trying to paint the picture in my mind, I envision a wise champion of the faith relaying simple truths that may have carried him on his faith journey. We find Paul bringing understanding through strong statements of faith. The certainty of Christ with us and living in His resurrection power. The endurance gained as the eternal perspective of the Kingdom of God will come to reign. Then, right smack in the middle, the divide between our humanity and a Holy God gives comfort in a different way. Our confession with or without Christ results in denial, as we deny Him.

Lastly, a paradox of sorts. “IF WE ARE FAITHLESS,” if WE FAIL, if WE RENIG on our side of the bargain, if WE LOSE SIGHT and miss the mark, WE DO NOT IMPACT THE CONSISTENT, SOLID, BEDROCK of our FAITHFUL CREATOR.

“FOR HE CANNOT DENY HIMSELF.”

As you look at your past, as you remember your failures, put your hope in the one that REMAINS FAITHFUL. Find the same qualities in the Savior that gifted you eternal life from the start. Receive GRACE and REDEMPTION once again. Walk in newness of life, and find confidence again. Don’t worry, He’s got it.

Pastor B Culture, Fall, Oakwood, Parent Cue, Students

Parent Cue: Anxiety Conversation Guide

Middle school has always been stressful, but research tells us that
teenagers today are facing more pressure than ever before. Juggling the
changing demands in grades, relationships, and growing responsibilities
places our teens at a much higher risk for stress. But some students are
experiencing more than stress—they are struggling with anxiety.

Click on the Download for a Parent Conversation Guide brought to you by the Parent Cue

Anxiety Conversation GuideDownload

Pastor B Culture, Fall, Middle School Grow, MS Leaders, New Normal Covid-19, Oakwood, Parent Cue, Students

DARE 2 SHARE – You Can’t Quarantine the Gospel

TAKE THE PRAYER AND CARE DARE

Download the Life in 6 Words App

For the next 2 weeks we are talking about three things on Wednesday Nights – PRAYER, CARE, & SHARE.

Greg Stier with DARE 2 SHARE encourages us to reach out to those around us during this pandemic by starting with PRAYER. Are there any people that come to your mind in your circle of influence that need hear the GOSPEL?

The DARE is to think of 3 names, download the app, enter them into the CAUSE CIRCLE and start with prayer.

Click on the Small Group Guide Below for more details or watch Greg Stier’s first video of his “YOU CAN’T QUARANTINE THE GOSPEL” series.

Take the PRAYER & CARE DARE Download

The Life in 6 Words App is an excellent tool to help your Middle Schooler think about SHARING the GOSPEL to their friends. It also provides amazing videos, helps you create a digital GOSPEL story, and connects you with others taking the same steps.

Pastor B Fall, Middle School Grow, New Normal Covid-19, Oakwood, Students

Middle School Worried Series Wk2

Thinking on Week 2 of our Worried Series, I am thankful that NO MATTER what the CIRCUMSTANCE, God will give us exactly what we NEED.

Week 2 Memory Verse

Just as Jesus points us to the Father that meets our needs in Matthew 6 by directing us to “Seek First the Kingdom of God,” we see in 1 Peter 5:6-7 that same thread that can be the key to calming the nerves. The truth is, GOD CARES. More than that, He KNOWS every detail of our lives, gets what we are stepping through, and will get us to the other side. True Humility revolves around acknowledging that GOD’s got it, He can take it off our hands, and He will deal with every situation in His time and His way. With the Mighty Hand of God on our side, who can be against us?

2.what if it doesn’t workout student guideDownload