Great Oaks Community Church

We are nearing the end of our study of 1 Peter as we began chapter 5 this past Sunday. We have been focusing on what it means to live a life Set Apart for Christ through Christ as instructed in Apostle Peter’s letter to the church. If you recall, Peter titled us elect exiles to remind us that our decision to follow Christ sets us apart as citizens of Heaven who are still called to live a life and serve a purpose while on earth. One of the ways this purpose plays out is the way we lead others through the church and how we follow. Chapter 5 begins with Peter addressing his fellow elders and proclaiming why he his is fit to exercise oversight over them due to what he witnessed alongside Christ. As a leader in the church, Peter made it clear the roles and expectations of those in the church. As Christ followers, our intentionality in the decisions we make determines the direction we are going. If we aim for nothing we’ll hit it every time.

Great Oaks Community Church Weekly Sermon Podcast.

Great Oaks Community Church Weekly Sermon Podcast.

Pastor Jake had us looking at what a blessing looks like from two different vantage points: one from heaven and one from earth. The first vantage point helps us see and recognize how are blessed and the second vantage point shows us how we are to be a blessing to others.

Great Oaks Community Church Weekly Sermon Podcast.

Pastor Bill picked up where we left off in Peter’s letter to the church. We have explored what he meant when he refers to us as Elect Exiles. We explored what it means to become reborn in spirit by the Spirit of God. We explored how this process gives puts a living hope inside of us because new life comes with it. We are looking forward to the day when Christ returns; thus, we live as if there is work to be done while we are here on earth. Even though we do not belong here, we were chosen to be here. We are set apart.

How we identify in life is a big deal. For instance, many of us might identify with such things as introverted or extroverted. Conservative or liberal. Blue collar or white collar. Health nut or junk food junkie. How we choose to identify has huge implications in our life because it determines the choices we make. Our identity determines our direction. Who we are determines what we do. Pastor Jake was quoted saying, “your who determines your do.” Building on the last three weeks of the series, Sunday’s sermon took a closer look at how Peter tells us we are to identify as a people set apart.

http://bible.com/events/636685

Pastor Jessie continued our summer series Set Apart. This week we looked at 1 Peter 1:3-12 and discussed how we are set apart for hope. In the message, we learned that those who are committed Jesus followers are born again into a living hope. Being born again was described as an act of God where he transforms you into a new person, forgives your sin, grants you eternal life, and gives you the gift of his Holy Spirit as you, by faith, embrace Jesus Christ as the Lord of your life. http://bible.com/events/632632

On Sunday, Pastor Jake kicked off our “Set Apart” series, which will be a verse-by-verse study through the book of 1 Peter. This study will take us the entire Summer to complete. The goal of this first message was to anchor the entire series to the purpose of 1 Peter. Pastor Jake talked about his experience in China and how he constantly felt like he didn’t belong (because he didn’t) and yet he knew he was called to be there. A tension existed between those two truths – I don’t belong and yet I’m called. In the opening verses of Peter’s letter, he calls his recipients “elect exiles”. To most Jewish Christ-followers reading this, this phrase would read as an oxymoron. “Elect” and “exiles” are opposites. How can one be chosen by God and yet also exiled by Him (since the people of Israel were exiled as punishment for their disobedience)?

Great Oaks Community Church Weekly Sermon Podcast.

We are in week 5 of 6 in our series called “Redacted”. We would never take a sharpie to the Scriptures to mark out what we don’t like, but what about the Bible in our hearts? Often we live like parts of the Bible just aren’t in the Bible. We pick and choose as if it’s up to us what is from God and what isn’t. We redact what makes us uncomfortable or may cost us something. However, 2 Timothy 3 says very clearly that ALL Scripture is God-breathed. This week, Pastor Jake preached on the Biblical idea that God has a specific design for sex and sexuality. We see this truth clearly being attacked by the Enemy (quite successfully) as we look at how sex and sexuality are discussed and approached in our world. This was illustrated in the sermon as Pastor Jake pointed out the research that shows how quickly people are able to let go of something they believe is true when they are outnumbered by people who disagree with them.

Pastor Jake read through a number of Proverbs, as well as a passage in Isaiah 58 and one in Matthew 25 that clearly show God’s people are called to not sit by and ignore those who are hurting and in need. Those of us who are fortunate enough to live without such struggles may be in danger of redacting God’s clear commands to help those around us who are struggling—the poor, the abused, the orphans, the homeless, the widows and those who are alone. It is not enough for us to live a life that does not oppress others who are struggling, those of us who call ourselves followers of Christ are clearly called by God’s word to step up and help. Pastor Jake shared some statistics of the number of people both nationally and closer to home who are in desperate need. Nationwide, there are 400,000 and 550,000 homeless people. In Illinois, 18,000 kids are living in a foster home, over 3,000 of them are waiting to be adopted today, and over 10,000 people are homeless. 360 people are living in hom

We are in week 3 of 6 in our series called “Redacted”. We would never take a sharpie to the Scriptures to mark out what we don’t like, but what about the Bible in our hearts? Often we live like parts of the Bible just aren’t in the Bible. We pick and choose as if it’s up to us what is from God and what isn’t. We redact what makes us uncomfortable or may cost us something. However, 2 Timothy 3 says very clearly that all Scripture is God-breathed. In this third week of the series, Pastor Jake preached on the idea that what Jesus wants from us is relationship not religion. We are not machines and relationships are not math. In our marriages and other relationships, if we treated them like we do following Jesus, they wouldn’t last long at all. If we boiled our relationship with our spouse, kids, or friends down to a checklist, we would fail. That’s not how relationships work

In this second week of the series, Pastor Jake preached on the reality of hell. Many people have removed the idea of hell from their understanding of what the Bible says because they have rationalized a loving God would never choose to send anyone to hell. This just simply is not the case though. Romans 11:22 says “note then the kindness and severity of God…” In Matthew 18, we see Jesus warning his disciples that it would be better for them to enter life crippled or lame or with one eye if our hands or feet or eyes cause us to sin and be thrown into the hell of fire. In Matthew 25, Jesus warns His listeners that they will be rejected and thrown into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels if they do not obey God’s commands and display His love to the least of those among them.

On Easter Sunday, Pastor Jake began a new series called “Redacted”. This series will be 6 weeks long. We would never take a sharpie to the Scriptures to mark out what we don’t like, but what about the Bible in our hearts? Often we live like parts of the Bible just aren’t in the Bible. We pick and choose as if it’s up to us what is from God and what isn’t. We redact what makes us uncomfortable or may cost us something. However, 2 Timothy 3 says very clearly that all Scripture is God-breathed. The truth is that a redacted version of God’s Word is no longer God’s Word. It’s an all-or-nothing kind of deal. In this first week of the series, Pastor Jake preached on Jesus being the only way to the Father. John 14:6 is very clear about this and yet many (inside and outside of church) live like it is not true. They ask questions like, “how could God not let sincere, good people into Heaven just because they don’t know Jesus?” and

In the “Dear Church” series, we are studying the 7 letters from Jesus to the 7 churches in Revelation 2-3. This week, we looked at the 7th and final letter – the one to the church in Laodicea. In the Bible, Jesus said some things that are pretty difficult to take. Most of these 7 letters have at least one of those things. This letter might be the one that proves that best. We could get into a bunch of historical facts and background about the city, but the letter itself is actually very easy to understand. Jesus is straightforward, so don’t get lost in the weeds. It may not be easy to accept, but it is easy to understand. Jesus tells the church at Laodicea something none of us want to hear come out of His mouth – you make me sick! He calls them lukewarm and says He will soon spit them out of His mouth.

He opens what no one can shut and shuts what no one can open…you can trust Him. No criticism for Philadelphia. They had little power and yet “kept my word.” Do you keep God’s Word only when it’s easy or when it’s difficult too? When you feel powerless, do you reach for it or something else? Faith is not the highway everyone seems to act like it is. It doesn’t move fast. Movement measured by years and decades, not moments and days. It’s a crawl. It requires patient endurance. Perseverance. We don’t like to talk about that these days, but that’s really the key isn’t it? To make it to the end. To persevere. To endure. Jesus is coming soon. Hold fast until He does!!!

In the “Dear Church” series, we are studying the 7 letters from Jesus to the 7 churches in Revelation 2-3. This week, we looked at the 5th letter – the one to the church in Sardis. In this letter, Jesus calls the church in Sardis (and us) to wake up and look at the how our works are lacking. Jesus tells the church in Sardis that they have the appearance and reputation of being alive, but they are actually dead. The letter continues by warning the people of what will happen to those who do not stop what they are doing, repent, and change their direction. Unlike the other churches that we have already read about, Sardis has a small minority of people who are faithful to God’s Word because they not only hear it, but they receive it and remember it. They follow it, do it, keep it… live it. Jesus lets everyone know that these people will remain with Him in white garments and their names will not be blotted out from the Book of Life.

In the “Dear Church” series, we are studying the 7 letters from Jesus to the 7 churches in Revelation 2-3. This week, we looked at the 4th letter – the one to the church in Thyatira. In this letter, Jesus calls the church in Thyatira (and us) to look at their actions (not just beliefs and words) and He warns them (and us) against being deceived by false teachers/prophets. This letter is a harsh rebuke! So let’s talk about false teachers & false prophets real quick. The Bible warns over and over against false teachers and prophets. 1 Peter 2:1 says “there will be false teachers among you.” They are everywhere – right here, right now. Satan is the counterfeiter. Galatians 1 says he has a false gospel. 2 Corinthians 11 says that false gospel is preached by false ministers and produces false Christians. Matthew 13 tells us that Satan plants his counterfeits wherever God plants true believers. The devil is working overtime trying to confuse and deceive God’s