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Worship January 2018

Church Family,

I hope that this new year finds you well. As I reflect on this past year, I am thankful to God in so many ways. I’ve seen him move in my own life as I have grown closer to Him. I’ve seen him move in my family, as he has blessed Annaclaire and I with a beautiful  daughter. And I’ve seen him move in our Church Family in so many ways. As we have  worshiped together Sunday after Sunday, I’ve seen God move through the voices of our congregation. We have worshiped God because we have so much to worship Him for. Are we perfect? No. Are our lives perfect? No. Is our Church perfect? No. But with every “no” we see in our lives, we are intersected by a powerful “yes” in Jesus. We may not     always get what we want. But God, our Father, gives us what we need. He knows what we need, and it’s better than anything we could want.

So my prayer for this new year, is that we will find our “yes” in Jesus. We will all be tempted to look to so many things to say “yes” to us. But the reality is that there are many things in life that we want, and we’re told “no.” And these desires aren't always bad things. Maybe you want to start a family, and the answer right now is, “no.” Maybe you want a new job and the answer right now is, “no.” Maybe you want to be married and the answer right now is, “no.” There are many things we want, and even the good things, sometimes, have to wait.

But when we come to Jesus, and we ask Him for the things He’s already promised, we get a resounding “yes.” If we ask for His faithfulness, his answer is always, “yes.” If we ask for His presence, His goodness, His mercy, His provision, His forgiveness, the answer to all of these desires is a resounding, “yes!” So this year, let’s find our “yes” in Jesus. We may hear the word “no” a lot, but if we come to Jesus and receive everything He’s already promised to give us, then we will find joy. We’ll find hope.
I am so excited about this year, and I believe God has big things planned for us as a Church Family. I hope you’ll come and be a part of what God is doing. There is always a place for you!

In Christ,
Jared

Spiritual Development

A Bible Reading Plan for 2018

The Bible is the foundation for life and godliness. Never before has it been so accessible to so many people. Yet there are many who have never devoted themselves to reading the Bible in its entirety. At Oakhill, we believe the  Bible is God-breathed revelation that equips us with everything we need to know in order to make disciples.

In 2018, we want to Know, Love, and Live the Bible. As disciples of Christ, we are  instructed to grow in our knowledge of the Bible, to love the message and the Author of the  Bible, and to live out our faith informed by the Bible. In order to help you participate in knowing, loving, and living the Bible, we are providing you with this Bible reading guide for this next year. Whether you have read the Bible through multiple times or never read the Bible before, this year we encourage you to know, love, and live the Bible in 2018. You can pick up one of these reading plans from the welcome and information center in the church lobby.

One of our deepest desires is for every Christian to grow in their faith by the study and application of God’s Word in their life. This year over the course of five Saturday mornings we will be learning an overview of all 66 books of the Bible. This will be a great opportunity for you to grow in your understanding of the structures, themes, and truths of God’s Word. Our goal in offering this is that you would be further equipped to grow in your knowledge, love, and practical     application of Scripture. Along with committing to the Bible reading plan that we are distributing, this year could be a time of immense spiritual growth as you seek to read the Bible personally and overview it’s contents collectively with your church family.  My prayer is that you would participate in these opportunities as much as you are able to.

Growth Initiative 2018 Dates:
March 24th (Genesis - 2 Samuel)
May 5th (1 Kings - Song of Solomon)
August 4th (Isaiah - Malachi)
September 22nd (Matthew - Ephesians)
November 3rd (Philippians - Revelation)

Recommended Resource— Take Words With You by Tim Kerr
Take Words With You is a compilation of Scripture promises and Scripture-prayers to provide tangible traction to prayer.  With over 2,500+ Scripture promises and prayers that are          organized by a simple method for prayer, this resource promises to be strategic for anyone seeking to grow in their prayer life and see more of their prayers answered.  This resource pairs well with the mobile phone app PrayerMate.