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Worship Ministry - May 2024

Sons and Daughters of God

Hymn 64 from Hymns and Spiritual of Isaac Watts
1 Behold, what wondrous grace
The Father hath bestowed
On sinners of a mortal race,
To call them sons of God

4 A hope so much divine
May trials well endure,
May Purge our souls from sense and sin,
As Christ the Lord is pure.

I am blessed with such a great family! A wonderful wife and two kids that I get to do life with every day! A wonderfully loving dad who has taught me so much and loves me well despite my faults. A compassionate mother who worships at the throne of Jesus and a step-mom who loves me fiercely. My mother-in-law and father-in-law are so supportive, and encouraging, and I think I might be their favorite child! Two brothers, three sisters, four brothers-in-law, and three sisters-in-law with twelve nieces and nephews!

That is a big family, so big I had to think when counting to make sure I didn’t leave anyone out! One of the incredible parts about this big family to me is that out of thirty-plus people I only share genes with six of them, yet we are family. We are this weird conglomerate of people who love and care for one another. We are all different, have different interests, and have different personalities, but we are bound together in love.

1 See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him. 2Beloved, we are God's children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. 3 And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure. 1 John 3:1-3

Seems like just yesterday my brother, Austin, and his wife were announcing that they were going to foster to adopt Grayson. A little boy who was born into a broken world, unable to swallow correctly because of neglect, but two people opened their hearts to him and gave him a home. They love him not because they made him, or that they share the same “blood”, but rather they love him just because he is who he is. He was a baby, he didn’t give them anything other than spit-up and dirty diapers, but they were willing to sacrifice and pay whatever the cost. They formed a family. A few years later they adopted Grayson’s brother Jordan. I am so thankful that I get to call them family!

Similarly, we offer God nothing more than the “spit up and dirty diapers” of our sin throughout our lives, and yet despite that sin, we can become His son or daughter! Through Christ’s death, we can be adopted into the family of God and receive everlasting hope in Him. God was willing to sacrifice and pay whatever the cost. We can know Him!

This is the grace that Isaac Watts is writing about in “Hymn 46,” that even though we are undeserving and unworthy, He “bestows” on us the title of son or daughter, and we receive the riches and abundance of His house. We receive the divine hope of Christ that is everlasting. He loves you like no other can. So run to Him, trust Him, call Him father!

Love you and mean it!

Worship Ministry - April 2024

Easter
I am so thankful for the opportunity we had to celebrate Easter together as a church! Good Friday Night of Worship was a great night of worshiping Christ, the one who saves us. It is great when we can focus on the cross and what Christ did for us; the sacrifice He made; to feel and understand the pain He bore. Then, for us to gather on Easter Sunday morning to celebrate His resurrection! He’s alive and working in us still!

Thank you to all those who helped make the Easter weekend happen. All the singers, band members, and tech team, thank you for the hard work and dedication you put in; not only for Easter but every week. Thank you for helping lead our church each week in
worship. I am thankful that I get to serve here at Oakhill!

Matthew 28:5-7
5 The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. 6 He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. 7 Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.’ Now I have told you.”

He’s Still Alive
As we come out of Easter, I pray we don’t forget that He’s still alive! Christ is still reigning! Christ is still the Lord! John Piper said, “...if this is true, then nothing is more important in our lives, nothing is more crucial or more urgent or more needful than believing it and becoming a follower of Jesus.”

We know this, we know all these things but it’s easy for us to approach our daily life without this in mind. Seeing God as distant and unreachable, maybe we even forget about Him altogether. We can go a whole day without thinking of Him once. It’s easy to get busy. It’s easy to not worship our God like we should and to become self-consumed. How can we fight against this urge?

We have the great assurance of Matthew 28:6, “He is not here; He has risen…” Believing this should fill us with a desire to draw near to Him and to seek Him! Jesus encourages us in Matthew chapter 7, that if we seek God we will find God. He isn’t trying to hide from us but rather wants us to be close to Him and to know Him. Just as you spend time on the things in life that interest you or the people that you love, spending time with God is necessary to know God.

John Piper also writes, “Seeking the Lord means seeking His presence.” “Presence” is a common translation of the Hebrew word “face.” Literally, we are to seek his “face.” But this is the Hebraic way of having access to God. To be before His face is to be in His presence.”

Seek God’s presence through His word. Seek God’s presence through singing. Seek God’s presence through prayer. Seek Him with your whole life!

Love you and mean it!