Oakville
January 10 - March 13, 2016
Rooted in Christ
January 10, 2016
Today we begin the series, Rooted. Roots have more substance than meets the eyes since, for the most part, they’re hidden. Though unseen, roots tell quite a story about the tree we see. In Colossians 2:6-7 and Ephesians 3:17-18 the Apostle Paul reminds us that through our Spirit-created faith, we are rooted in Christ. What does it mean to be rooted in Christ? What does that look like? What difference does it make? Rooted in Christ alone, our prayer is that our roots of our faith in Him go deeper and grow stronger.
The God Who Is
January 17, 2016
The great reformer Martin Luther once said, “To progress is always to begin again.” Everyday we turn another page in the story of our lives. Too often we allow our past to control our present and future. The promise of the cross is that we can start over again today graced, forgiven, free, and filled with new hope and new promise. Why? Because the faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is His faithfulness; His mercies begin afresh each morning (Lamentations 3:22-23 NLT) May we experience that new beginning today!
How Can We Pray?
January 24, 2016
How can we pray? There are two ways to ask that question: 1. How is it possible? and 2. How do we do it? Well, as Paul tells Timothy, it is only possible because we have a mediator in Jesus Christ (1 Timothy 2:1, 3-6a). But even knowing that we can pray, we don’t always feel like we know how to pray. So today we focus on how to ‘P-R-A-Y,’ learning to pray through song, Psalms, sobs, and sighs.
Our "Why" Chromosome
January 31, 2016
Dealing with pain and suffering stirs the deepest feelings in people and the most profound questions. How can God be good and still allow so much suffering and pain in our world? Why doesn’t He do something? Why hasn’t He done something? “God, are you there?” Have you ever had those thoughts? Today Pastor John will focus on something we will all face sooner or later - pain and suffering. Are there dangers, or even benefits, to going through times of suffering? Let’s find out today.
The Accuser and The Advocate
February 7, 2016
What comes to mind when you hear the name, Satan (or devil, or Lucifer)? Are you afraid? Are you knowledgable about who he is and how he works? Do you even believe he is a person? An entity? Or just a force? What power does he really have over believers? Today we continue our message series Rooted by focusing on the victory we can experience in being rooted and living out the rooted life in Christ. May the Holy Spirit guide us into these truths today and protect our minds from the Devil’s deception and distraction!
Gifted to Serve
February 14, 2016
What a blessing to come together around God’s Word, with His people, in His presence! Continuing in the Rooted message series we see the heart of Jesus, the Master, who came not to be served but to serve and to give His life as a ransom for many. He not only leaves us an example of how to serve but also provides His gifts to serve others. Motivated by His grace, we find great joy in serving with a heart like Jesus.
You Are Gifted
February 21, 2016
Do you know what a “spiritual gift” is? Do you believe you have been gifted by God with a specific spiritual gift? Today Pastor John continues the Rooted series by focusing on the gifts of the Holy Spirit. The Apostle Paul says, Now concerning spiritual gifts, I don’t want you to be uninformed (1 Corinthians 12:1). So it would be wise for us to learn about these gifts, understanding why they are important for each of us and for the growth of God’s kingdom.
How Are You Going to Manage?
February 28, 2016
We are all managers of the things with which God has entrusted us: our money, our abilities, our bodies, and even our time... but we manage them differently because we know they are not really “ours.” Today we look at time, specifically to see how it is managed differently in light of the fact that we have eternal life through Christ’s resurrection.
Do You Have Your Shoes On?
March 6, 2016
Why does our church exist? What are we here to do in this little community called Oakville? In this city called St. Louis? In this country called America? Are we a “lip service” kind of people or a “living service to others” kind of people? Why do we keep the message to ourselves if it’s really, really good news? Let’s allow Jesus’ words to convict but also encourage us today as we move further in our journey to discover what it means to be Rooted and grounded in Christ.
His-story Repeats Itself
March 13, 2016
Thank you for blessing our lives and faith today. We pray our time together does the same for you, by the power of the Holy Spirit. As we come to the end of this message series, Rooted, we look back at God’s story, consider our story in His – as individuals and as the the body of Christ and the story that continues with no end. From perfection, to perfection through Christ, to perfection without end. His-story does repeat itself.