Pastor B Oakwood, Parent Cue, Winter

I want a Hippopotamus for Christmas

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What do you desire for Christmas???

This Christmas novelty song was written by John Rox and performed by the ten year old Gayla Peevey in 1953.

Peevey was a regional child star of the Oklahoma City area. When released nationally by Columbia Records, the song shot to the top of the charts and the city zoo acquired a baby hippo named Matilda.

A popular legend holds that this 1953 hit had been recorded as a fund-raiser to bring the city zoo a hippo; but in a 2007 radio interview with Detroit-based WNIC radio station, Peevey clarified that the song was not originally recorded as a fundraiser. Instead, a local promoter picked up on the popularity of the song and Peevey’s local roots, and launched a campaign to present her with an actual hippopotamus on Christmas.

The campaign succeeded, and she was presented with an actual hippopotamus, which she donated to the city zoo. The hippopotamus lived for nearly 50 years.

Gayla Peevey later recorded as Jamie Horton, scoring the Billboard Hot 100 charter “My Little Marine” in 1960.

This Christmas, Jesus wants to give you more than you desire.

Pastor B Culture, Parent Cue, Winter

The importance of the Virginity of Mary

Hey Middle School Parents, have you talked to your son or daughter about the importance of the Virginity of Mary?

This is the Christmas season, why is Pastor Brandon posting something like this to make my life as a parent EVEN MORE AWKWARD?

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1. Here’s the deal, we are saturated with a culture that speaks out against this train of thought. If the issue of purity is not brought to the attention of your middle schooler, they may not consider how important it is to God.

2. God’s word points this out, so we should as well.

He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?”
Luke 1:32‭-‬34 ESV
http://bible.com/59/luk.1.32-34.ESV

Consider John Piper’s words on The Virginity of Mary

 Full Sermon by John Piper here

The virginity of Mary is important for two reasons.

1. She Is Sexually Pure

a) It means that she’s sexually pure. She has not slept with her fiancé, or any other man. That would have been fornication, and God abominates fornication.

Of course, not every woman in Jesus’ lineage is so clean. There was Bathsheba the adulteress and Tamar who seduced her father-in-law. These things can be forgiven, as many of you have discovered. But don’t overlook the importance of Mary. When God chose a mother for his Son, he chose a virgin. Virginity before marriage is important because the recipient of God’s best gifts ought to be pure.

2. She Wasn’t Pregnant Already

Mary’s virginity is also important because it meant she wasn’t pregnant. God aimed to make known that the conception of Jesus in the womb of a woman was owing to no man. So he chose a virgin. And a virgin conceived a child whose Father was God and not man.

In a world of sexting, sexual promiscuity, and curiosity, God’s Word points to a different standard. A standard that allowed Jesus Christ to enter as the greatest gift to humanity.

Purity is the perfect package for the gift of our Savior to our world.

Okay parents, AWKWARD Christmas Challenge: Talk about the importance of the virginity of Mary.

(Go ahead and catch them off guard with it like they spring crazy, awkward questions on you!)

Merry Christmas!

Pastor Brandon.

 

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

Fusion Thx – Bless the Lord Devo

 

 

 Bless the Lord Devo Download

 

 BLESS THE LORD

 Read It – Psalm 103 The Message

A David Psalm

   1-2

   O my soul, bless God.

From head to toe, I’ll bless his holy name!

   O my soul, bless God,

don’t forget a single blessing!

3-5

He forgives your sins—every one.

He heals your diseases—every one.

He redeems you from hell—saves your life!

He crowns you with love and mercy—a paradise crown.

He wraps you in goodness—beauty eternal.

He renews your youth—you’re always young in his presence.

 

  

 

LOOK

Number the 6 Blessings in the Psalm.

Draw a picture of yourself – beside the picture of YOURSELF, label how each Blessing would look on you.

 

  

 

 

 

LEARN

What do these 6 Blessings mean to you?

 

What do we learn about God?  

 

What do we learn about our relationship with God?

 

  

 

 

 

LIFE

How about you?  Think about what these 6 Blessings mean to you

 

Thank God for Forgiving YOUR sins, EVERY ONE.

Ask God to heal your diseases, EVERY ONE.

Thank God for redeeming and saving your life from hell.

Ask God to help you walk in His Love and Mercy.

Thank God for wrapping you up in His Goodness and Eternal Beauty.

Ask God to renew you in His Presence.

 

  

PRAY –  Think about what you just wrote down in each section.

 Ask God’s Spirit to help you live out His TRUTH in your life.

Pastor B Fall

Why doesn’t Disney World celebrate Thanksgiving?

Check out the Denison Forum at www.denisonforum.org
Why doesn’t Disney World celebrate Thanksgiving?
November 19, 2018  |  READ TIME: 4 minutes

NOTE: I would like to begin this morning by expressing my gratitude to my son, Ryan, for writing last week’s Daily Articles. I am truly thankful for his thoughtful and inspiring columns while Janet and I were on vacation. Ryan is completing his PhD in church history and is a gifted thinker and writer. I am very proud of him and honored to share this ministry with him.

My wife marked a significant birthday last week. I offered to take her anywhere to celebrate and she chose Disney World. Since she grew up just a few blocks from Disneyland in California and we visited Disney World often while living in Atlanta, the trip was a nostalgic and fun week for us both.

However, one part of our vacation was a new experience: we had never visited Disney World in mid-November. We saw Christmas decorations everywhere we looked. Wreaths on the doors, garlands on the light poles and attractions, Christmas parades in the streets. We were told that more than 1,500 Christmas trees were placed on the various Disney World properties.

The decorations were beautiful. The parades, light shows, and fireworks were stunning. Disney World celebrates Christmas in grand style.

But another holiday was noteworthy for its absence.

A holiday or a holy day?

I don’t remember a single reference to Thanksgiving. Not one pilgrim or turkey on the grounds. It was as though this Thursday’s celebration of gratitude does not exist.

My purpose is not to criticize Disney World–it is to note that for most Americans, they’re right. Thanksgiving is a day for food and football followed by Black Friday sales on Thursday.

By contrast, when Governor Bradford issued his first Thanksgiving proclamation in 1623, he called “all ye Pilgrims, with your wives and ye little ones” to assemble from nine to noon “to listen to ye pastor and render thanksgiving to ye Almighty God for all His blessings.”

When Abraham Lincoln made Thanksgiving a national observance in 1863, he asked his “fellow citizens in every part of the United States” to set aside “a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens.”

How can this week’s holiday become the holy day it was intended to be?

“Be busy, and know that you are God”

I mentioned last Monday that Janet and I spent the previous weekend at the Billy Graham Training Center, where Dallas Baptist University sponsored a spiritual renewal retreat. Dr. Adam Wright, the university’s president, asked me to speak on Psalm 46:10, “Be still, and know that I am God.”

I have thought much about these words in the last week.

No more countercultural text could be selected. We hear every day the siren call, “Be busy, and know that you are God.” And we’re answering the call: Americans work 137 more hours per year than Japanese workers, 260 more hours per year than British workers, and 499 more hours per year than French workers.

We are especially busy at Christmas. Retail sales during November and December will total $720 billion. Retailers will hire as many as 650,000 temporary workers to compensate for the holiday rush.

We’re so tired when Christmas finally arrives that many of us order takeout for our holiday meal: Chinese food orders on Christmas Day are 153 percent higher than other days of the year.

We are busy because we think that being busy will make us better, more productive, more fulfilled. In short, we are answering Satan’s invitation to “be like God” (Genesis 3:5). But there’s a better way.

“Be still, and know that I am God”

Why should we “be still,” retreating from the stress and strain of our culture into solitude and intimacy with God? Because this is the way to “know that I am God.” But why do we need to know that he is God?

Consider two facts from Psalm 46.

One: God is a “very present help in trouble” when we make him “our refuge and strength” (v. 1). However, we can be thankful for such help only to the degree that we experience it personally.

The fact that most Americans will miss Thanksgiving tells us that most Americans are missing the refuge and strength our Father offers us. Let’s not make this mistake.

What “trouble” are you facing today?

Two: Our Lord proclaims, “I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!” (v. 10). However, we can be thankful for this glorious future only to the degree that we exalt Jesus as Lord in the present.

The fact that most Americans will miss Thanksgiving tells us that most Americans are exalting someone or something more than God. Let’s not make this mistake.

What will you do to glorify Jesus today?

“The God of Jacob is our fortress”

Psalm 46 ends with this declaration: “The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress” (v. 11). If we trust God with our trouble and exalt him with our service, we will end our days and our lives with the same declaration.

And every day will be Thanksgiving.

 

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Pastor B Culture, Fall, Oakwood, Parent Cue

Trending Parent Cue

WEEK 1

EPHESIANS 2:10;
EPHESIANS 4:29

God created us as His masterpiece.

WEEK 2

ROMANS 12:4-5;
JOHN 13:34b

God created us for connection.

THINK ABOUT THIS:

WEEK 1:

Your middle schooler may hesitate to speak up when it comes to bullying. In this phase, reporting bullying to an adult is viewed as a form of tattling rather than standing up for themselves or someone else.

WEEK 2:

When you approach conversations about bullying in less direct ways, your kid may be more willing to open up. Questions like, “Did you run into anyone who was hard to get along with today?” may give you the answers you’re looking for.

DO THIS:

 MORNING TIME

Reach out to your kid’s school to learn about the programs or policies they have related to bullying. Get involved in any anti-bullying initiatives in your community. Simple things like this let your kid see that you’re taking an interest in an important topic.

 DRIVE TIME

Take time to reach out to the important adults in your kid’s life—their teachers, coaches, Small Group Leaders, and more. Ask them how your kid is doing and how they’re interacting with others to get an idea of what’s happening in your student’s life when you’re not around.

 MEAL TIME

Share a story from your own life (preferably in middle school!) of a time you played a specific role in a bullying scenario. Whether you were the bully, the bullied, or the bystander, tell your kid how it made you feel and how you handled it. Don’t ask them to share their own story; just be open to the possibility of the conversation from there!

 BED TIME

If your student has social media accounts, make sure you’re following them. Pay attention to the comments made on their pages and read the comments they’re making on the pages of others. This will give you a glimpse into how they’re interacting with the people around them.

For more parenting resources visit www.ParentCue.org

Pastor B Culture, Oakwood, Parent Cue

Rooted Series: Parent Cue

Hey parents! This week we’re starting a new series called Rooted. In this three-week series, we’ll talk about how we can stand firm and welcome whatever change life brings us when we’re rooted in an unchanging God.

 MORNING TIME

This week, leave your kid a note somewhere they’ll see it (on the bathroom mirror, in their lunch, in a text message, etc.) reminding them that God is with them. He never changes.

 DRIVE TIME

Share with your student a time you went through a challenging change in your own life. Tell them how your perspective on change was different after that experience.

 MEAL TIME

This week, as you gather around the table for a meal together, ask your kids this question: If you could change our meal into anything you wanted to eat, what would it be?

 BED TIME

It’s movie night! Pick an evening to watch the film Inside Out together as a family this week. Talk with your kids about the different emotions the characters experience when they face big changes in their lives.

 

For more parenting resources visit www.ParentCue.org

Pastor B Fall, Oakwood, Parent Cue, Students

Fusion Wednesday Rescue Series – YOUR RESCUE STORY

 

Hey Parents!  Has your kid shared their RESCUE STORY with you???

We encouraged our students to read the steps in preparing their story and share it with family, friends, and eventually someone that might need to hear it in their circle of influence.                       Here is our RESCUE STORY GUIDE from Sept 19. 

YourRescueStoryPrintOut

Here is our Wednesday Schedule:
Sept 26) Sacrifice: Why did Jesus have to die? This lesson dives into the idea that Christ’s sacrifice is
necessary to bridge the gap between humanity and God. Bible Passage: John 3:1–21                                                                                                                                                                                 Oct 3) Adoption: How do I fit into God’s family? This lesson will underscore the fact that followers of Christ are adopted by God. When we accept Jesus as Lord, our sins are washed away. But we’re also accepted into the family of God. Bible Passages: John 1:1–18 and Ephesians 2:1–10

Oct 10) BELIEVE WEEKEND LAUNCH PARTY – The Middle School and High School will be combined in the Student Pavilion for some FUN FOOD and a SPECIAL FLASH SALE to Kick Off our BELIEVE WEEKEND sign ups!!!!

Oct 17) Salvation: How does being saved make a difference in my life today? Being saved and following Christ means that we have a mission to fulfill here on earth. In this lesson students be challenged to make the mission of Christ a part of their life on a daily basis. Bible Passage: John 9

Q What is Fusion?  Fusion offers a loving and accepting environment geared for Middle School Students Grades 6-8.  We have events, weekly meetings, and exist to Intentionally Engage Middle School Students by leading them to the heart of the Father.
Q What happens on Fusion Wednesdays?  5:30 is hang out and Pizza, 6:00pm Bible Study Begins in the STUDENT PAVILION.  We begin with Worship, move to Talk Time, then Students move to break out rooms for real life discussion. 7:30pm is dismissal time

What can my Middle Schooler do for dinner?   Two Options :
1. Join us in the Student Pavilion for Papa John’s Pizza at 5:30pm.
2. Eat as a family at the Oakwood Wednesday Night Dinner for a nice hot meal.
Can my Middle Schooler play on the playground?  Parents, please let your Middle Schooler know that the playground is for CHILDREN and that they will be asked to leave the playground.

Pastor B Culture, Students

Joshua Luke Smith – From Interlinc Blog

”No White Rappers For Me” But Joshua Luke Smith Changed Everything

Posted on July 26, 2018 by Ken McCoy

By Mary Wilson Peed • marybakerwilson@gmail.com • Fort Valley, GA

I have only one rule as a writer for interlinc-online.com—NO white rappers. I mean no disrespect. I gave birth to a son who loves rap music of every ilk. Seriously, he taught his daughter to beat box before she could speak. Rap is just not my genre of choice.

Enter Joshua Luke Smith. I broke my own rule. To be honest, I had no clue who he was until I googled him. And, as providence would have it, I came upon his Ted x Talk, The World Within: Healing Matters of the Heart. I listened. I was moved. I fell in love with his heart. Joshua speaks out and works against the modern day slavery of human trafficking. Slavery and objectification that exists because there is a demand for it. He makes the accurately haunting connection between the driving hunger in a man’s heart to the table that is laid on the back of slaves, admitting to the appetite in his own belly and the need to starve that appetite.

Having three sons, I immediately resonated with this truth and the courage to speak into the chaos so personally.

My middle son, Jonathan Joshua, works for Garmin – he is a lead engineer. His work is global. He has partners and true friends in Russia and Thailand. He is grieved by a world that paints entire people groups with derision, hate, and suspicion. Joshua Luke Smith, although British born, was raised in impoverished northern Pakistan, he understands ethnicity, bias, and diversity. He’s lived it. He speaks not to people groups or prejudice, but to the human condition and changing the world by changing the world in our own hearts.

The heart of the matter is truly a matter of the heart, and Joshua Luke Smith nails it in lyric after lyric.

What’s on my playlist next to “Grace Got You: Mercy Me,” “Water and Dust: Cory Asbury,” and “Known: Tauren Wells?” Joshua Luke Smith’s “All My Friends,” and “Headlights.” Regardless of how you feel about the genre, Joshua Luke Smith is an important voice for this generation. His music is as profound as his Ted X Talk, resonating with his millennial culture as well as the unsettling times we find ourselves in.