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Pics from the 1st Annual Oasis NFL Turkey Bowl

We had the beginning of hopefully a tradition that will continue for years to come... the Turkey Bowl! This is a friendly football game and picnic that provided a great chance to laugh, connect, exercise, and enjoy being together as Oasis Church North Florida... thanks again to Andrew and Alisha for hosting this event!

As you can see, yes, I played... yes, I caught the football.... yes, Zach was there (in the background of the first pic)...yes, my sister-in-law Charissa clearly interfered with me catching the ball!...and yes, I was sore the next day...

For more pics, check out our Facebook page.... www.facebook.com/oasisnfl

Download this past Sunday's teaching from Oasis NFL...

We concluded our teaching series this past Sunday on beginning or getting back to the basics of following Jesus. In previous weeks, we talked about reading the Bible, praying, and building intentional connections with people in our lives. We ended with the basis of growing as  a Christ-follower "Through Generosity". Because Jesus has been generous with His life (He gave everything) and God has generously given grace and mercy to us through the work of Jesus, then we have every reason to be and model generous living! We talked about the truth that God is not after our money... He is after our hearts and to transform them to worship Him above everything else!

Download I Will Follow - Through Generosity

Bible Reading Challenge - John 15

We are reading through the Book of John together... join us as we finish the last 7 chapters this week... read a chapter a day..

John 15:5 “Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing.

• Jesus is vine, we are branch...

• He is the source of life and the point of the branch is to hold the fruit...

• the point is not the branch!! Why do we always think it's about us?

¹² This is my commandment: Love each other in the same way I have loved you. ¹³ There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. ¹⁴ You are my friends if you do what I command. ¹⁵ I no longer call you slaves, because a master doesn’t confide in his slaves. Now you are my friends, since I have told you everything the Father told me. ¹⁶ You didn’t choose me. I chose you. I appointed you to go and produce lasting fruit, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask for, using my name. ¹⁷ This is my command: Love each other.

• anytime Jesus says a “this is a command” we should probably listen and obey!

• Love like Jesus loves... wow!

• No greater love than ultimate sacrifice... give your life in place of somebody else...

• we are friends of Jesus if we obey....

• Obey what? LOVE EACH OTHER!

²³ Anyone who hates me also hates my Father. ²⁴ If I hadn’t done such miraculous signs among them that no one else could do, they would not be guilty. But as it is, they have seen everything I did, yet they still hate me and my Father.

• opposite of love is hate

• if loving Jesus means obeying Him... and people don't obey Him... then they (and we, when we as Christ-followers don't obey) are actually hating Him!

• He is not just a good teacher, He is not just another viewpoint... He is either Lord or He is a liar!

• Just as there is no middle ground for who He is... there is no middle ground for us...

• we are either obeying Him...or not

• we are either loving Jesus... or not

• we worship Him as Lord... or not

• not a “fun” thought in a world where we are taught that all views are equal and valid... but once again, there is no middle ground here!!

Weekend Update

• wow, what a great weekend to kick off Thanksgiving Week!

• On Thursday, Jeanine and I flew to Washington D.C.

• We got a little sight-seeing in and then went to a Church Planters Roundtable put on by the Association of Related Churches (ARC)

• as a young church plant, we are seeking to partner and resource with like-minded churches...

• this is important for shared resources, coaching, funding, and networking and learning from each other

• I am also excited as this would also help us realize our goal of being a church-planting church as partnering with them would allow us to help plant churches in the future!

• It was nice to travel for a few days.... without kids!

• Of course, we love our boys... but it's nice to get away and just be a couple every once in a while..

• Thanks to my parents for watching and taking care of our kids while we are gone... they loved having Grandma and Grandpa be in charge!

• Saturday, we arrived back at JAX in the early evening... good to be home and finish up the last details for church the next day

• By the way, thanks to USAIRWAYS... got us to and back from D.C. 15 minutes early each time! WOW!

• Later, about 9pm, our family from Georgia (Eddie, Kim, and the kids) arrived for the week... Thanksgiving Break has begun!

• Sunday dawned and it did not look good... supposed to be rainy and squally all day... not only would this affect our worship together but we also had scheduled our first annual Turkey Bowl Thanksgiving Game after church... oh no!

• But, what can you do? Pray and move on...

• The rain held off for our worship gathering... good crowd at the theater to connect with God through music and His Word...awesome!

• Every week, God sends us first-time guests... so amazed by that!

• I asked a family this week how they heard about us and they said “we have heard the rumors and wanted to come check it out”... how funny cool is that?

• Finished up our “I Will Follow” teaching series talking about following “Through Generosity”... mp3 will be on the site soon....

• May not be the most fun thing to talk about or listen to the subject of money... but I believe there is incredible truth and freedom that God gives us in regards to our view of money...

• God is not after our money... He is chasing after our hearts!! But, we often allow our hearts to go after money...

• Without acknowledging and understanding this, I believe God's Word shares that it is nearly impossible to grow as a follower of Jesus... wow!

• Packed up and put our portable church away... love to see our people jumping in and working together!

• The weather outside began to clear up... is that the sun poking through? Thank you Jesus!

• Great turnout of families for our Turkey Bowl and picnic! Thanks to Andrew and Alicia for allowing us to gather at your house... what a fun time!

• The game went great... no serious injuries and it ended in a tie so everybody was happy (and tired!)

• We will have some pics here and on our Facebook page soon

• Got home in time to watch the Cowboys come from behind and beat the Redskins... woohoo!

• Jags won too... they are looking pretty good right now...

• Fantasy Football... won 1 and lost 3 this week...looks like I am limping into the playoffs...not good!

• Happy Week of Thanksgiving!

Bible Reading Challenge - John 14

At Oasis Church, we believe that the Bible is truth and needs to be read and obeyed... and that all people following Jesus will do this! It's part of God's plan to transform us and make us more and more like Jesus.

With this is mind, the challenge was issued... read through the Book of John, a chapter a day, for the next three weeks. I will be sharing a couple of verses and thoughts that jumped out to me each day... here we go!

John 14: 2, 3 There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? 3 When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am. 

• Jesus has gone away... but He will return... and bring us to the place He has been preparing!

• while heaven is exciting (and should be an amazing place!) the real exciting deal is the fact that Jesus is returning so that we will always be where He is... wow!

• We will be with Jesus... forever... He is the point!

 ⁶ Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.

• the only way to God the Father... Jesus

• the only living source of truth about God the Father... Jesus

• the only source of eternal life with God the Father... Jesus!

• Exclusive? Yes!

• All-inclusive? Yes!

²⁰ When I am raised to life again, you will know that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. ²¹ Those who accept my commandments and obey them are the ones who love me. And because they love me, my Father will love them. And I will love them and reveal myself to each of them.”

• Jesus tells his disciples... I will be coming back to life!

• This is the grand-finale proof that He is the One, the Messiah, sent by God, His Father!

• Proof that we love Jesus is found in how we obey and follow His commands

• Proof that God loves, forgives, saves us is found in how we love Jesus!

 ²³ Jesus replied, “All who love me will do what I say. My Father will love them, and we will come and make our home with each of them. ²⁴ Anyone who doesn’t love me will not obey me. And remember, my words are not my own. What I am telling you is from the Father who sent me. ²⁵ I am telling you these things now while I am still with you. ²⁶ But when the Father sends the Advocate as my representative—that is, the Holy Spirit—he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you.

• we are united with God through loving and obeying Jesus...

• this is the result of accepting (by faith) the life and work of Jesus on the cross for us... and believing that the risen Jesus is Lord!

• The proof we have received grace, mercy, and forgiveness as a gift of God is seen how our transformed hearts love Jesus...

• you can't fake this kind of love... we need God to put this love in us!

• No love... equals no obedience... equals no unity, relationship with God the Father

• not my words... this is what Jesus tells us comes from the mouth of God the Father!

• Confused? This is why the Holy Spirit is given to those who follow Jesus... to continually teach and remind us of what it means to listen and follow Jesus!

 ²⁷ “I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid. ²⁸ Remember what I told you: I am going away, but I will come back to you again. If you really loved me, you would be happy that I am going to the Father, who is greater than I am.

• following Jesus results in finding His gift of peace

• unlike any kind of peace we find outside of Him...

• a perfect peace because Jesus will return and we will be with Him!

Bible Reading Challenge - John 11

At Oasis Church, we believe that the Bible is truth and needs to be read and obeyed... and that all people following Jesus will do this! It's part of God's plan to transform us and make us more and more like Jesus.

With this is mind, the challenge was issued... read through the Book of John, a chapter a day, for the next three weeks. I will be sharing a couple of verses and thoughts that jumped out to me each day... here we go!

John 11: 3- 7  So the two sisters sent a message to Jesus telling him, "Lord, your dear friend is very sick."
  4 But when Jesus heard about it he said, "Lazarus's sickness will not end in death. No, it happened for the glory of God so that the Son of God will receive glory from this."5 So although Jesus loved Martha, Mary, and Lazarus,6 he stayed where he was for the next two days.7 Finally, he said to his disciples, "Let's go back to Judea."

• Lazarus is sick...but it's not an emergency to Jesus

• everything happens for the glory of God...including this!

• Just because Jesus did not immediately act in this situation, the Bible is clear that He still loved everybody involved in this situation

• you and I need to hear this... Jesus loves us...even if He is not doing what we think He should be doing!

11 Then he said, "Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but now I will go and wake him up."
  12 The disciples said, "Lord, if he is sleeping, he will soon get better!"13 They thought Jesus meant Lazarus was simply sleeping, but Jesus meant Lazarus had died.
  14 So he told them plainly, "Lazarus is dead.15 And for your sakes, I'm glad I wasn't there, for now you will really believe. Come, let's go see him."

• Lazarus is asleep... dead!

• Interesting, what we term a final resting place, God calls taking a nap... and His perspective is correct!

• I love how it says that Jesus has to come out and speak plainly... yo, he's dead!

• The same is true for us... sometimes, He has to tell us exactly what He means for us to get it...

• When that happens, we have no more excuses of ignorance... we will either respond to or ignore what Jesus is saying to us!

 16 Thomas, nicknamed the Twin,s said to his fellow disciples, "Let's go, too—and die with Jesus."

• “Doubting” Thomas has gotten a bad rap over the years... yet, he is one of the first to say he is willing to die with Jesus!

  25 Jesus told her, "I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying.26 Everyone who lives in me and believes in me will never ever die. Do you believe this, Martha?"
  27 "Yes, Lord," she told him. "I have always believed you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one who has come into the world from God."

• Jesus is the life and the coming back to life... do you believe?

• I love Martha's response... can you say the same about Jesus?

Mp3 download from Sunday, November 15

Here is the audio download from Oasis Church North Florida from this past Sunday, November 15...

Download I Will Follow...Intentional Connections

When it comes to growing in our journey of following Jesus, we need to intentionally (on purpose, as a result of planning) connect (link, bond, associate, relate) with people who are also following Him, who don't yet know Him, and who live in our community and have meet-able needs...

Bible Reading Challenge - John 10

At Oasis Church, we believe that the Bible is truth and needs to be read and obeyed... and that all people following Jesus will do this! It's part of God's plan to transform us and make us more and more like Jesus.

With this is mind, the challenge was issued... read through the Book of John, a chapter a day, for the next three weeks. I will be sharing a couple of verses and thoughts that jumped out to me each day... here we go!

John 10:1- 5 1 "I tell you the truth, anyone who sneaks over the wall of a sheepfold, rather than going through the gate, must surely be a thief and a robber!2 But the one who enters through the gate is the shepherd of the sheep.3 The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep recognize his voice and come to him. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.4 After he has gathered his own flock, he walks ahead of them, and they follow him because they know his voice.5 They won't follow a stranger; they will run from him because they don't know his voice."

• there is to be familiar, relational aspect to following Jesus... so much so that we are able to recognize and respond when Jesus talks to us!

• We also see that there are many voices, distractions talking and trying to get our attention... but we are not to follow them!

• Is our life a picture of following His voice, Jesus – the Good Shepherd?

• We recognize Jesus by spending time with Him, connecting in prayer and listening through His Word and by shutting up and being still!

• As a dad, there is also a challenge to lead our families in the same way... familiar and relational. Requires me to actively be there and involved in my boy's lives...

• If they don't know my voice, they will follow a stranger's... not good!

  11 "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd sacrifices his life for the sheep.12 A hired hand will run when he sees a wolf coming. He will abandon the sheep because they don't belong to him and he isn't their shepherd. And so the wolf attacks them and scatters the flock.

• Jesus is the Good Shepherd... not only in words but in action!

• He gave His life in our place...we, because of our sin, were rightly and deservedly in the bullseye of God's wrath... and He stepped in front of us and paid the price!

• He didn't get paid to do it...He responded in love to His Father and for the sheep...wow!

• Do you believe? Have you accepted God's grace and mercy and forgiveness extended to us by Jesus?

14 "I am the good shepherd; I know my own sheep, and they know me,15 just as my Father knows me and I know the Father. So I sacrifice my life for the sheep.16 I have other sheep, too, that are not in this sheepfold. I must bring them also. They will listen to my voice, and there will be one flock with one shepherd.

• He gives again His credentials as a Good Shepherd... sacrifice of His life

• the other sheep not in the sheepfold? That's any of us who are not Jewish, of the nation of Israel!

• He has united us outsiders and those who have been the chosen nation of God since Genesis into one flock and together, we have one Shepherd... amazing!

24 The people surrounded him and asked, "How long are you going to keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly."
  25 Jesus replied, "I have already told you, and you don't believe me. The proof is the work I do in my Father's name.26 But you don't believe me because you are not my sheep.27 My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them away from me,29 for my Father has given them to me, and he is more powerful than anyone else. No one can snatch them from the Father's hand.

• People: tell us if you're the one... Jesus: I already told you!! Listen! Look at the proof!

• If we are following Him, we are hearing His voice... is this true for you?

• God does the work of salvation... and what He decides can't be undone!

Bible Reading Challenge - John 9

At Oasis Church, we believe that the Bible is truth and needs to be read and obeyed... and that all people following Jesus will do this! It's part of God's plan to transform us and make us more and more like Jesus.

With this is mind, the challenge was issued... read through the Book of John, a chapter a day, for the next three weeks. I will be sharing a couple of verses and thoughts that jumped out to me each day... here we go!

This is one of my favorite stories to read about Jesus and the other people involved... the way it reads makes you feel like you are right there!

Jesus meets a blind man... the story continues...

John 9:6 Then he spit on the ground, made mud with the saliva, and spread the mud over the blind man's eyes.7 He told him, "Go wash yourself in the pool of Siloam" (Siloam means "sent"). So the man went and washed and came back seeing!
  8 His neighbors and others who knew him as a blind beggar asked each other, "Isn't this the man who used to sit and beg?"9 Some said he was, and others said, "No, he just looks like him!" But the beggar kept saying, "Yes, I am the same one!"

10 They asked, "Who healed you? What happened?"

• sometimes Jesus would heal through touch or speaking words... but by spit and mud? Wow! Why would He do this?
• I love the beauty of sending someone to a pool called Sent... and the man follows the commands after being sent... and finds healing!
• I love it... the friends are like "is this the blind guy?"... and they can't agree if it is really him!
• So he pipes up... "guys... it's really me!"

13 Then they took the man who had been blind to the Pharisees,14 because it was on the Sabbath that Jesus had made the mud and healed him.15 The Pharisees asked the man all about it. So he told them, "He put the mud over my eyes, and when I washed it away, I could see!"

• here we go again... Jesus, God heals and it's a miracle... but the religious people don't like the timing...
  
• so the investigation begins... what's your story?
• and the blind guy shares his testimony...here's what Jesus did...

18 The Jewish leaders still refused to believe the man had been blind and could now see, so they called in his parents.19 They asked them, "Is this your son? Was he born blind? If so, how can he now see?"

  20 His parents replied, "We know this is our son and that he was born blind,21 but we don't know how he can see or who healed him. Ask him. He is old enough to speak for himself."

• here is where it gets really funny... the Pharisees call in the man's mommy and daddy! Ha!
• And the parents vouch for his previous state of blindness... yep, that's our boy and yes, from day one he was blind!
• and I love how they say, ask him yourself how he can see... he can talk!!

  24 So for the second time they called in the man who had been blind and told him, "God should get the glory for this, because we know this man Jesus is a sinner."
  25 "I don't know whether he is a sinner," the man replied. "But I know this: I was blind, and now I can see!"
  26 "But what did he do?" they asked. "How did he heal you?"

  27 "Look!" the man exclaimed. "I told you once. Didn't you listen? Why do you want to hear it again? Do you want to become his disciples, too?"

• so the Pharisees bring him BACK! Man, this investigation is getting old!
• Love the story... "don't know all about Jesus but I know I used to be blind and now I see"
• this is our story... we will never be adequately able to understand, explain, figure out God... but we can tell our story.. how we were once lost and now found...by Jesus!
• Keep telling your story... and some will begin to follow Jesus as well

 34 "You were born a total sinner!" they answered. "Are you trying to teach us?" And they threw him out of the synagogue.

35 When Jesus heard what had happened, he found the man and asked, "Do you believe in the Son of Man?"
  36 The man answered, "Who is he, sir? I want to believe in him."
  37 "You have seen him," Jesus said, "and he is speaking to you!"
  38 "Yes, Lord, I believe!" the man said. And he worshiped Jesus.

• So, the religious people call him a total sinner (which they were and we are too!) and kick him out of the place of worship
• Jesus goes and finds the formerly blind guy... He is a seeking Savior!
• Physical and now spiritual blindness is healed by Jesus... wow!
• Believing leads to worship... always has, always does!
  

Weekend Update

• absolutely BEE-YOOtiful weekend here in North Florida... clear skies, amazing sunshine, and mid-70's...seriously perfect weather!
• spent Friday wrapping up all the details for the weekend
• I used to take Fridays off but that worked against me mentally prepping and physically getting ready for the weekend... and it was not fair to my family to be "cheating" on my day off...
• after experimenting with different days, I have landed on Wednesdays as the day off... it allows me to wrap up details from the weekend on Monday, meet and begin study on Tuesdays, and then unplug without worrying...
• the Sabbath is not just a good idea... it is how God wired us and it is being obedient to His Word... it's important to have a day to rest and worship!
• Saturday, we hosted an appreciation cook-out sponsored by Jonathan Higdon for the people and families who serve in Oasis Kidz... great job!
• Every week, 25 - 30% of our attendance is 5th grade and under... our Oasis Kidz team is doing serious ministry and Bible teaching each and every week!
• So excited to see the team God is building here at Oasis Kidz... and to remember that a year ago, there was no team, no kids, no Oasis Church... so grateful for what God has done!
• we set up our little bounce house for the kids... I used to have only one bouncer in Zachary but now Ryan is quite the little jumper as well!
• Saturday afternoon, watched the U Hurricanes lose another game... all three losses have been games that start at 3:30pm... hope there isn't anymore of those!!
• Sunday dawned again perfectly and our team was back in the mix... we were down a couple of key players but people are stepping up each week and helping lead and serve at Oasis!
• Continued our series on "I Will Follow"... talked about intentional connections... building link, relationships, community on purpose
• Excited to see us continue to grow in friendship as Oasis and build connections with people who don't know Jesus so that we can be true friends to them and point them to Jesus!
• Also talked about intentionally connecting with people in our community through their needs... shared a challenge to provide meals to some families in our area... and our people are responding... awesome!
• Once again, our count was just over 100... we have been consistent at this number...but it's a different 100 each week!
• Grateful that JESUS is building His Kingdom and we are just a small part of it in our area
• Afterward, we had our last Newcomers Lunch of the year... 6 families who have been coming over the last few weeks came to our house, we enjoyed some pizza together, and were able to share a little of our story and the vision of Oasis Church
• Ultra pumped at the diversity of cultures and backgrounds God is bringing to Oasis Church... it's definitely awesome and exciting and a goal of ours to truly represent our community... it's happening!
• after a quick nap, watched the Jags beat the Jets and then the Cowboys lose (frustrating!) to Green Bay...but I love the NFL! Anybody can win at any time...
•  busy but great weekend... and looking forward to next Sunday... the first annual Turkey Bowl game!! Touch football, bring your own picnic, and a chance to connect further as Oasis Church... should be fun!