JeremyHigdon.com

Happy Halloween!

Thomas and James the trains are ready for today... How bout you?

New Teaching Series...begins this Sunday, November 1!

Here at Oasis Church (and jeremyhigdon.com), we believe Jesus is God. 

 

He is salvation.

He is the truth.

He is the way.

He is life.

 

But this is only where it begins.

We believe that knowing about Jesus is not enough...

we need to know Him...personally.

 

Join us for our series "I Will Follow" as we learn to keep knowing and following Jesus... one step at a time.

Starts this Sunday, November 1, at 10:30am

at the Hollywood Theaters at River City Marketplace. 

For more info, go to www.oasisnfl.com

Teaching download from Sunday, October 25...

Here is the sermon mp3 download of the teaching this past Sunday at Oasis Church North Florida...

Download No Perfect People Allowed Week 4

Halloween Neighborhood Outreach

We announced a special event this past weekend at Oasis Church... here are some of the details of what we are thinking...

The amount of festivals that are happening on Saturday, October 31, at churches in Jacksonville (and for that part, all over the USA) is pretty staggering. But, I think we need to re-think and realize something important...

It is not often that there is a day that it is fully acceptable and expected that people who live in your neighborhood will walk down your street, head down your walk, and knock on your door!

So, instead of being ready for them and building a connection with our neighbors, we all go to our church festivals... is this slightly ridiculous or what?

Am I an anti-festivite? No!

Am I for people who live in our neighborhoods? Am I for redeeming a day that is considered "evil" and use the accepted tradition of trick-or-treat to try and build a connection and love our new friends in the name of Jesus? Absolutely!

So, we announced the Halloween Neighborhood Outreach... here is how it works...

1. Get good candy... this is crucial...no giving away that hard bubblegum or left-over Easter candy... get the good quality stuff! No generic, store brand items!
2. Open the door when you hear the knock.
3. Talk to the kids and parents... be friendly!
4. Drop in the quality candy and an invite card to church
5. Verbally invite them to church (which this year, is the very next day!)
6. Ask and remember the family's name
7. Say good-bye and close door
8. Write down the names, pray for them, and commit to pray for them for the next 30 days
9. When you see them next time, roll down window and say "hi"...
10. Be ready to show love of Jesus whenever an opportunity arises

So, can this be done? Is this possible? Could God use Halloween as part of His plan to reach people in our area? Could He use us?

Hint...the answer is YES!!

Weekend Update

• last full weekend of October!
• what?? The holidays are pretty much here?? wow!
• Friday, had a good day with the familia
• Jeanine was feeling like she was getting sick but she was able to keep it from getting worse...whew!
• Headed out to the Northeast Florida fair in Callahan...yep, that's how we roll on an Friday night!
• Saturday, enjoyed a combination of sleeping in, working out, relaxing, and finishing up for Sunday at Oasis
• oh, I almost forgot, throw in a bout of depressions as I watched the Hurricanes lose to Clemson
• actually, they only lost to one player... C.J. Spiller... unbelievable!
• frustrating to be closer to championship level of play but still be a LONG way away!
• Sunday dawned and things got up and rolling pretty quickly at Oasis NFL...our set-up team is getting faster and faster!
• Finished up our No Perfect People Allowed series... studied the fact that our life is Jesus Christ and saw how to put that in practice by applying the first 17 verse of Colossians 3
• Actually began the message with the story of Zacchaeus... and nearly ended up singing the song!
• Zacchaeus was a wee little man.... I mentioned how I can really relate to him because I too am short!
• But the real point was the fact the Jesus went after him, saved him, and his life was transformed...
• an inward decision led to outward actions, obedience, life-change... the same is supposed to happen to all Christ-followers!
• it's ok to not be ok... but it's not ok to stay that way!
• look for the audio to be up here and on www.oasisnfl.com later this week 
• finished with worship and the challenge to live out Col. 3: 17 this week
• I love leading, worshipping with, and serving the peeps of Oasis Church!
• we announced a special event... Halloween Neighborhood Outreach...more details later
• Sunday afternoon... nap... it's a beautiful thing!
• Watched the Cowboys put together and play a pretty good game against the ATL Falcons... will this trend continue?
• My fantasy football record this week?? 4-0! I am such a nerd!
• Stayed up late and watch U2 live in concert from Pasadena, Ca on youtube... is this an incredible time we live in or what?
• Imagine the implications for the good news of Jesus to literally be preached everywhere in the world in our lifetime... wow!
• Zachary had no school on Monday... when asked what he felt about not going to school, he said..."it's a good feeling"... he catches on quick!

Teaching download from Sunday, October 18...

Here is the audio mp3 download from Sunday, October 18...

Download No Perfect People Allowed Week 3

It's ok to be ok... it's not ok to stay that way!

This past week, in No Perfect People Allowed..., we talked about the fact that we come to Jesus as we are...broke, jacked-up, messed up, imperfect, fallen, dead in our sins.... and that Jesus offers us... Himself! His love, grace, mercy, forgiveness...everything we could not fix, He has finished! Done!

So, then as we follow, we change and are changed...transformed from inside-out. Here are some of the teaching notes...

John 8:3 (NLT) As he was speaking, the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in the act of adultery. They put her in front of the crowd.

• side note.. two to tango... where's the man?

4 “Teacher,” they said to Jesus, “this woman was caught in the act of adultery. 5 The law of Moses says to stone her. What do you say?”

6 They were trying to trap him into saying something they could use against him, but Jesus stooped down and wrote in the dust with his finger. 7 They kept demanding an answer, so he stood up again and said, “All right, but let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone!” 8 Then he stooped down again and wrote in the dust.

• What was Jesus writing? Possibilities according to some commentaries... was He...Listing the names of people there?

• Listing their sins?

• Listing the 10 commandments?

• We don't know what He wrote... but it probably made the Pharisees uncomfortable!

9 When the accusers heard this, they slipped away one by one, beginning with the oldest, until only Jesus was left in the middle of the crowd with the woman. 10 Then Jesus stood up again and said to the woman, “Where are your accusers? Didn’t even one of them condemn you?”

11 “No, Lord,” she said. And Jesus said, “Neither do I. Go and sin no more.”

• illustrates again... no perfect people allowed... we are all sinners, all have fallen short, all need grace and mercy... we too would have had to walk away...

• was the lady guilty? Yes!

• Did Jesus excuse her sin, adultery? No!

• Instead of condemning, He showed compassion... doesn't mean He overlooked her actions!

It's ok to not be ok;

• Imperfect people, because of Jesus have a chance to receive grace, mercy, and compassion

• Romans 8: 11 So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus.

It's not ok to stay that way!

• He told her to leave the way of life of sin... stop doing it!

• Instead of life that follows sin, live a life that follows Jesus...

• transformed life, given by Holy Spirit, through grace, mercy, forgiveness, repentance

• The first two weeks of this series... it's ok to not be ok... because of grace and mercy, we who are guilty have a chance to be justified... God's act of declaring people “not guilty”... because of the work of Jesus on the cross!...

• just as if I'd never sinned....we need salvation, Jesus paid for our salvation with His life, and we receive grace to accept by faith this salvation!

• this week and next... want to focus on the statement... it's not ok to stay that way.

• The focus here will be sanctification...God progressively separating us (His followers, believers) from our sin and making us more like Him

• step by step process the Holy Spirit working in our lives and making us look more and more like Jesus...

• not overnight... the rest of our lives!

• Because of Jesus, we now have choice when it comes to sin, to do right or wrong, to think good or bad, to listen to Holy Spirit's leading or not...

Weekend Update

• cool weather finally came... it was a beautiful mid-60's day on Sunday!
• Actually it was bee-yoo-tiful all weekend...great days to be outside and enjoy God's creation
• was it just me or was it really busy in Jax this past weekend? Lots of festivals and stuff going on...
• Friday, we enjoyed the day as a family and went over to dinner at one of our attendees house... our kids are similar ages and we enjoyed getting to know the Allens better.. thanks guys!
• On Saturday, finished up the weekend stuff for Sunday... I have really enjoyed speaking and teaching what we firmly believe at Oasis NFL... No Perfect People Allowed!
• We bundled the kids up (ha!) and went to a festival at Zach's school... it was a fundraiser for the Make A Wish foundation... and it was good for Zach to go and see his teachers and friends outside of class
• although, he kept asking and making sure "you guys are staying with me, right?!" Hey, you can't fault him for asking! That's pretty smart!
• Enjoyed a restful afternoon and then headed out the McKays house for a little birthday party for Andrew... they have a couple of dogs and my boys love going over to play with them... and Jeanine and I like going too!
• We watched UF almost lose... it's gonna happen... I just know it! No way they finish this year unbeaten... although their schedule is awfully soft!
• Watch the Canes on the internet... they are having a good year but still have some big games coming up!
• Sunday, the team, the set-up, the details... everything flowed and came together perfectly... in fact, we finished early!
• The service went very well... God was dealing with people all over the service and we were reminded, it's ok to not be ok... but it's not ok to stay that way!
• Our sins have been nailed to the cross! We are not under their control anymore... they are dead to us!
• Really amazing to remember the story of the Jesus and the woman caught in adultery and then to go and study the first 15 verses of Romans 6 (audio will be up later this week)
• Worship flow went great... I think we finally settling into a service flow, order that is working for us... for now!
• Always great meeting new people at Oasis... God keeps bringing them every week!
• Always fun to meet people who did not know a church meets in the theater... they usually are coming up to see movie times... and the reaction is like..."church?? here? at the theater??"
• YES!! WOOHOO!
• Dallas Cowboys did not lose... which is always nice... of course, they did not play, so that helps!
• Sunday, afternoon relaxed and played outside with the kids... nice!
• Fantasy football for the weekend... I won 3 and lost 1... by why does the 1 loss always frustrate me more then enjoying the 3 wins??
• And that was the weekend for me... so there you go!

A funny video I saw today... brings back some youth ministry memories...

Check this out this video I was shown today about youth ministers... brought back some great memories of my 8 years of being a student ministries pastor... at least half of this video was true of me! For all those who were part of SURGE back in the day or who are involved in working with middle and high school students, I am sending out a sideways hug to you all! I am looking forward to the day that Oasis NFL will be able to adequately minister to and serve the youth of North Florida!

Shaping up to be a great weather weekend in Jacksonville!

Don't believe me? Here is the weekend forecast from weather.com...

AHHHH!!!! Cool weather is finally here... and this about 25 degrees cooler then last weekend... it should be great! Can't believe so many of my friends from around the USA are expecting snow in the next few days... wow!

And I am insanely jealous of a short story I saw on the Weather Channel... Mammoth Mountain in California got several feet of snow, the ski resort opens this weekend, and all day today, people are skiing for free!!

I can't believe it... and I can't wait to go snow skiing sometime this winter!! Anyone want to go with me?