Blue Oaks Church Weekend Services

What if you could know what’s going to happen after you die? Well Jesus tells a story that sheds light on the reality that after you die you will be wide awake; and you will be full of either tremendous gratitude or enormous regret; and you will be able to reflect back on your life here on earth with great clarity. It’s critically important that you get right with God while you’re on this side of eternity. That’s what the The post What Happens After Death appeared first on Blue Oaks Church - Pleasanton, CA.

If there’s a fork in the road and one way says life and the other way says death, even for the directionally-challenged, that’s not a difficult decision. But the reality is, every time we make a decision we choose to either walk down a path of life or a path of death. This is a simple concept to theoretically understand, yet it is the most difficult task in life to faithfully carry out. We choose physical, mental, relational, and financial The post A Life or Death Decision appeared first on Blue Oaks Church.

Moses was never alone, even in his darkest moment. And neither are we! The post Persist With God appeared first on Blue Oaks Church.

When God called Moses to lead the people of Israel out of Egypt, Moses gave excuses why he was not the right man for the job. But God told Moses, “I will be with you.” God proved to Moses He could be trusted and promised him he would not be on his own. God was essentially saying to Moses, “You have nothing to be afraid of Moses. I will be with you.” Whenever God calls ordinary people like you and The post Hearing God appeared first on Blue Oaks Church.

Moses was one of the most extraordinary human beings to ever live. He was the founder of the nation of Israel; he was the giver of the law; he established Israel’s worship; he organized Israel’s government; and he led Israel to freedom. Outside of Jesus Christ, we could argue Moses was the single most influential human being to ever live. While Moses was a remarkable human being, he could claim a somewhat dysfunctional start to life. He made some unwise The post The Extraordinary Life appeared first on Blue Oaks Church.

Colossians 3:17 is one of the key verses in the New Testament. Paul says, “Whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” We can get vague and abstract about what it means to live in the name of Jesus, so Paul moves directly on from this pivotal verse to talk about three of the most common and important areas of life: marriage, The post Doing Work and Family Right appeared first on Blue Oaks Church.

Did you ever play dress when you were young? Maybe you dressed up as a superhero, or put on your parents’ clothes, pretending you were all grown up. Maybe you put on a costume to act out your part in a school play. Whatever you put on, it gave you an opportunity to be different, a new identity for a short time. This Sunday, we’ll see how Paul uses clothing as a metaphor in his letter to the Colossians to The post A New Wardrobe appeared first on Blue Oaks Church.

Our thoughts and feelings take on certain patterns and tendencies that inevitably determine the kind of things we say and do. When we say or do something, we’re just letting out the thoughts and feelings that are on the inside. People who do well at loving are simply the kind of people who have loving thoughts and loving feelings. Cranky people are simply people who tend to have bitter, resentment-producing thoughts and feelings. Yet the apostle Paul makes this staggering The post A New Mind appeared first on Blue Oaks Church.

We live in a culture that expects performance, drives performance, and rewards performance. But is that how God operates with us? Is a relationship with God all about following the rules and doing all the right things? As we return to The New You, we’ll look at the difference between the expectations of religion in light of what Christ has done. With change comes the opportunity to become better versions of ourselves, and lean into Christ-centered living. Join us Sunday The post Live in The Reality of Done appeared first on Blue Oaks Church.

What is the correct position for a Christian to take on gun control? What is the correct position for a Christian to take on immigration? What is the role, Biblically speaking, that the government ought to take in caring for the poor? What about capital punishment? What about global warming? What is the Christian response to Covid-19? What is the Christian response to protests for equality? Underneath all these questions is the question we will focus on this Sunday: what The post The Way Of Jesus In Politics appeared first on Blue Oaks Church.

The Good Samaritan story is known to Christians and non-Christians alike. What many people don’t know is how the cultural, social and religious realities of Jesus’ day color the story. In this message we will explore what this story meant to Jesus’ listeners and hopefully give us a new appreciation for in light of what we’re experiencing today. The post The Good Samaritan appeared first on Blue Oaks Church.

All the reading I’m doing on racism has forced me to come face to face with my own pride and sense of privilege that keeps me at a distance from people who are different than me. It’s been difficult because I’m learning that deep down in the cracks of my own soul, I have a sense of superiority, and I have prejudice, and I have fear that I would just like to keep covered up. I would just like to The post Tear Down The Wall appeared first on Blue Oaks Church.

Amos was a simple farmer in ancient Judah, but God had bigger plans for him. God used him to instruct the Israelites on how to respond to marginalized people. God’s dream was a society that reaches out with compassion to those who are oppressed, and treats those who don’t have power with justice. God’s dream has not changed, and it’s up to us, his church, to live it out in our communities today. The post A Bold Statement From Amos For Today appeared first on Blue Oaks Church.

What is one thing the church has to offer that the world cannot get anywhere else? It’s grace! We can say to people with confidence, “You were dead, but now you’re alive. You were lost, but now you’re found. You were guilty, but now you’re set free.” Join us Sunday as we learn to realize God’s grace. The post Live In God’s Grace appeared first on Blue Oaks Church.

Often, we place our hope in the people around us, the profession we’re in, or the possibilities that may come our way. What if we had a hope based on a promise, one that could not be broken, a hope that lived within us? There is no mystery to finding this hope in Christ and it’s the difference between Christ and us and Christ in us. The post Christ In You, The Hope of Glory appeared first on Blue Oaks Church.

The way we live directly reflects how we perceive Jesus. When Jesus is weak, we offer prayers without faith, worship without awe, service without joy, and suffering without hope. The result is fear, retreat, loss of vision and failure to persevere. However, life with a powerful God is a life of risky faith, fearless obedience, and passionate leadership. Join is Sunday as we learn to live in the reality of a powerful God. The post Jesus’ Power And Presence Are With You appeared first on Blue Oaks Church.

Jeremiah 29:11 says “‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’” It’s hard reading that truth in light of this season, as all of our plans have shifted. We aren’t comfortable with the unknowns, and if you’re feeling overwhelmed, know that you are not crazy. Peace can be found in the truth that God knows the plans He has The post God’s Plans are Meant for Good appeared first on Blue Oaks Church.

Hope is a quality that can run very deep. It’s a belief that the best is yet to come. Those with hope have courage that allows them to dream big and take risks. Hope enables us to endure pain and overcome grief. With it we are able to surmount obstacles, frustrations and failure. Join us Sunday as we learn how to be carriers of hope rather than despair. The post Keep Hope Alive appeared first on Blue Oaks Church.

Fear is one of the most prevalent human emotions, capable of influencing or controlling our decisions and behavior. Peter experienced a moment of fear when he jumped out of a boat to meet Jesus in the middle of a storm. How Jesus responds to him teaches us how we can find faith in the midst of our fear.  The post Finding Faith in Fear appeared first on Blue Oaks Church.

We all deal with worry. It might be because of health, work, finances, a relationship, a recession, or a pandemic.  Worry cuts us off from the presence and power of God like almost nothing else. It robs us of joy and paralyzes our ability to trust God.  This week we lean to give our worries to God and live with a peace that is beyond human understanding. The post Give Your Worries to God appeared first on Blue Oaks Church.