Our Blog

Filter By:
Showing items filed under “Alex Kilgore”
in Students, Newsletter

Student Life - December 2024

main image

At the time of this writing, our student ministry had just finished our DNow for 2024. And what a ride it was. This year, praise God, we hit another record high
attendance for an event. From sitting in the chairs during worship to hanging out and sleeping at host homes, this year we had 74 students signed up for our weekend DNow event. Once again, praise God for the awesome opportunity we had to pour into students' lives for about 42 hours. And none of that could’ve been done without the selfless help of our amazing leaders. While there were 74 students for us to keep watch over, it took 20 leaders, 3 adults for the kitchen crew, and 6 band members to make the weekend happen. And all of this is only because of what the Gospel has done in our lives. Because Christ first loved us, we then desire to love others (1 John 4:19). 

If you don’t know what DNow is, I’m happy to give a quick explanation about it! Historically, the youth ministry of Oakhill Baptist has been doing DNow weekends for 10+ years. I remember when I was a student in the ministry going to a couple of DNows myself. DNow stands for Discipleship Now and its goal is for intentional discipleship over a weekend retreat. For us this past weekend, this looked like starting Friday night, staying in Evansville over the whole weekend, and concluding at 11am service on Sunday. What we do in between is always a great time. We worship together in song, hear the preaching of the Word, play games, go to Newburgh FEC for a couple hours, eat
together, and sleep at host homes Friday and Saturday night. While all of these events go on, our goal for the weekend is intentional discipleship and relationship building. Pair that with the faithful preaching of the Word, it is our prayer that the Lord would do work in these student’s lives during our time together and after our event ends. 

During our weekend together, I wanted to make sure that the students had a good teacher to hear from. And I was incredibly excited to invite my good friend Max to take on this role for our students. Max and I became friends in college and grew to become like brothers as the years went on. I served by his side in the youth ministry of the church we attended during college, so it was an incredible joy and honor to ask him to speak for this student event at Oakhill. We also worked together to find the theme for our weekend DNow. It quickly became apparent that we should teach through the Promises of God. This sermon series is one that I got to learn from when Max was preaching it to the students in our college church. And where he got it right once before, he did an even better job for our students this past weekend. It was our goal that the students would become stronger, grounded, and more secure in their faith when they consider the many great promises God gives us in His Word. 

Now that the weekend is over, the work isn’t done yet. I’m looking forward to conversations with all of the students on their thoughts about the weekend, what the Lord taught them, and what they plan to do with what they heard. Please, be in prayer with me that the students would receive what the Lord has in store for them and that they would follow Him.

Posted by Alex Kilgore with
in Students, Newsletter

Student Life - November 2024

main image

During our “Follow Me” series we have been going through, I recently taught the students how Jesus is our Good Shepherd. Many times, the students have heard of Jesus as Savior, Messiah, Teacher, Sustainer, Servant, etc. But this time, I wanted them to hear and understand how Jesus is our Shepherd. This title, shepherd, is actually important to our Old Testament history. As God chose Israel to make His covenant in, Israel still needed guidance. And in Numbers 27:16-17, we see that a man should be appointed over the congregation (Israel) and should lead them just as a shepherd would with his sheep. So as Moses was once the leader, it was then decided that Joshua should succeed Moses and become Israel’s shepherd. 

However, there were not always good shepherds over God’s people. Sadly, selfishness, perversion, pride, and anger took root in those who were supposed to be shepherds over God’s flock. In Ezekiel 34, God rebukes the shepherds, He calls them out for eating off the fat of what they were given and not giving it to the sheep. They clothed only themselves, when the sheep still needed warmth. They cared only for themselves. And sadly, this failure of leadership only continued for the people of Israel. 

After painting this picture, we begin to see our narrative of sheep needing a shepherd. But not only just some shepherd, but one who could do the job well, the TRUE Shepherd. Thus, we look at John 10. In this chapter, Jesus continues to be berated by the Pharisees. And yet, in humility, He reminds these Pharisees of the analogy of sheep needing a shepherd. One who would shepherd them well, care for them immensely, and lead them carefully. In His analogy, He notes that the sheep hear their shepherds voice and know him and follow him. After this beautiful example, the Pharisees still did not understand. So, Jesus doubles down. He says “I AM the good Shepherd.” In verses 7-18, Jesus paints us a beautiful picture of how He leads us. He explains that He is the door of the sheep. These shepherds that came before Him were thieves and
robbers who did not lead the sheep well (thieves and robbers were the example of Israel’s previous horrible leaders). Jesus explains that He is the door to the sheep, to the flock. If anyone enters in through Him, they will be saved, can find pasture, have life and have it abundantly. How amazing and beautiful! Jesus goes on to explain that He would lay down His life for the flock, where thieves, robbers, and hired hands would not (hired hands were those who did not own the flock but were over them). These people do not care for the flock, whereas Jesus lays His life down for them AND unites them! He explains that He has other sheep elsewhere, but He will bring them as well, so that His flock may become ONE. 

Even after explaining all of this, some of the Pharisees still did not understand. Some still didn’t understand who Jesus really was. Thus, He explains that He and the Father are One. They do not understand this because they are not His sheep. Which brings us to our “Follow Me” verse in verse 27. Jesus explains “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.” 

So, dear reader, please hear the words of our Savior. He is our Good Shepherd. He cares for us, tends for us, dies for us, leads us, defends us, unites us, restores us, calls us by name, and knows us. He is truly a Good Shepherd. He fulfills the job no one in the Old Testament could. He cares for the sheep and makes us glad to be His sheep. This
causes such joy and peace for me. I hope it does for you as well. 

Posted by Alex Kilgore with

Previous123456