Oakdale UMC

This week's message turns our attention the Healing that occurs when we embrace our belovedness. Scripture: John 3: 14 - 21 Key Points We are God’s beloved; that’s our truth and we cannot change that. For us to care about ourselves and the rest of creation, we must recognize and claim our belovedness. Our journey leads to healing, which leads to gratitude, which leads to praise for the God who created us and calls us beloved. Self-Reflective Thoughts for the Week Ahead You are invited to take an active role in owning your belovedenss, what is in the impact to this decision? Where are you now in your journey? Do you feel more or less beloved? Where do you need healing in your life to feel beloved?

When we embrace our belovedness we also need to demonstrate the same passion as Jesus did for the marginalized. Scripture: John 2:13-22 Key Points 1. Part of being beloved is recognizing the sacred value of our bodies and honoring them as such. 2. Passion, then, must be an inherent part of belovedness since our belovedness is the expression of God’s deep love within us. 3. Recognizing God’s passion within us will allow us to live out the call- ing in our lives for others. Self-Reflective Thoughts for the Week Ahead 1. Knowing your body is a temple for God, how can this shape your view of yourself? 2. How is having passion and knowing you are beloved connected in your life? 3. What would it look like if you lived your life with passion as a be- loved disciple?

Listen to Him! It is a message from God that as Disciples we are called to be listeners in this world. When we listen we clearly hear are calling to love and worship God. It is also in listening that we will hear the Gospel message and go and share that message with the world.  Key Points Disciples are called to listen to Jesus. Listening to Jesus leads to us knowing we are beloved. Listening requires being still, unplugged, patient, and giving Jesus control. Self-Reflective Thoughts for the Week Ahead When have you avoided being present to an experience by focusing on another task and staying busy? How do you listen to Jesus and what makes this listening a challenge? How many times does God tell you that you are beloved before you can hear this news? Scripture: Mark 9: 2 - 9

We begin our Christian walk at Baptism when the Heavens part and God proclaims, "You are my Beloved." Key Points 1. God calls us to live lives that are representative of being beloved by God. 2. Knowing we are beloved does not come easy yet we must never forget we are beloved. 3. God is Love Self-Reflective Thoughts for the Week Ahead 1. What does it mean to you that you are God’s beloved? 2. Who is helping you in the wilderness as you learn you are beloved? 3. At this point in time, where do you see yourself in the story: moment of God declaring you beloved, in the wilderness, or beginning to share the Good News? Scripture: Mark 1: 11

There is no doubt that Christ left this earth with one main message: tell and teach others. Teaching and making disciples is what the Christian neighborhood watch program entails. Key Points You have been created in the image of God and not in an image of depravity Others do not define your worth, only God defines your value. Never forget that you have been uniquely created by God because you are God’s beloved. Self-Reflective Thoughts for the Week Ahead God created the stars yet God formed you in God’s image, how does that create a greater awe in you for the formation of humanity? Knowing the way in which humanity was “formed” will that chal- lenging you to look at your neighbors differently? Who is near you that you may reach out to and remind them that they are loved and uniquely created by a loving God?

The church in Acts had to completely revolutionize their way of thinking and widen the scope to allow “all” in their gospel message. Christ often works in ways we do not understand—or even agree with—but his plan is always best.

Our neighbors are more than the people down the road. Our neighbor, according to Jesus, is anyone in need. Being neighborly means reaching beyond ourselves and into the lives of those who need help. Scripture: Luke 10: 25 - 37

From the creation of humankind, God established a precedent for the dignity and value of all people: it is found in humanity’s unique connection to God. Humankind’s value and dignity is not based upon ability, age, or perceived value, but rather given to each person by God.

There is no doubt that Christ left this earth with one main message: tell and teach others. Teaching and making disciples is what the Christian neighborhood watch program entails.

God loves his covenant with his people, and believers are called to reflect this in the world. We must remain faithful to our covenants and to God as a testimony to the truth about our great God.

God desires for his people to express their adoration and devotion to him in the appropriate and fitting ways that he has prescribed. We must approach God with appropriate reverence and adoration; this befits him and provides great comfort and joy for us.

God loves his people with a fierce and jealous love that requires them to respond with fidelity and trust. We must recognize the love, mercy, and goodness of God toward his people, and respond appropriately to his love.

God’s mercy is cause for thanksgiving; when we cry out to him, he can restore us, even when our troubles are the result of our own sin. When we are exhausted from the hard circumstances of life, we must depend on God and not our own strength.

In an always-connected world, we needn’t sugarcoat it: disconnecting and finding solitude is hard. But it is also necessary. Through the additional spiritual practices of journaling, sharing meals, and observing communion, we can experience rest and life with God.

God calls us to come to him and find refreshment by creating times of sabbath within our lives and families. As disciples of Jesus, we need to develop the practice of sabbath by disconnecting from our work, phones, and busyness to enter intentional times of rest with God, family, and friends.

In the midst of the challenges of ministry and a demanding schedule, Jesus would withdraw to solitary places to pray. We can follow Jesus’s example by practices such as entering into the quiet place to meet with God, observing fixed hours of prayer, and prayer walking.

Jesus modeled a life of regularly withdrawing into places of silence and solitude for prayer and refreshment. As disciples of Jesus, we need to follow Jesus by entering into times of solitude and silence, intentionally setting aside time to withdraw from our busy, distracting world.

Jesus’ resurrection is the firstfruits of our resurrection—if we trust in Him.

Jesus shows His divinity through His intimate relationship with the Father. Because of Jesus’s finished work, we can have an intimate relationship with God through Him.

Week 4 of our series on the Gospel of John we are reminded that our future is entrusted to Jesus. Jesus shared the future with the crowds and His Disciples yet they both missed the message from Jesus. We do not need to miss the message.

We should keep discovering God’s character and heart through an ever-increasing knowledge of Him—no matter where we are in our faith journey.

No matter how “good” we think we are, we’re still in need of a loving Savior.

Jesus isn’t just a good teacher we should listen to every occasionally; He is God and He deserves our entire devotion.

Sometimes, during moments of difficulty, it feels like no one understands us. As a community, we need to strive to provide godly support to those who suffer.

Suffering doesn’t always make sense to us, but sometimes suffering can serve a purpose. Today we witness Satan once again attempting to sway Job away from his love from God. This is a reminder for all of us that at times the world desires to pull us from God and so we have a choice; stay with God or turn to the broken world. Which way will you turn? 

This six-week series serves as a snapshot of the book of Job, providing comfort and encouragement to those experiencing a difficult circumstance. Have you ever felt broken? Have you ever wondered why? Job’s story is often our story. Yet, even in the midst of pain and suffering, we can trust in the power of our creator. Sometimes bad things happen to good people and good people don’t understand why.

The story of God’s grace and mercy through Jesus Christ is found in the four Gospels.

Sometimes God taps the shoulders of His children to share His message.

Within the Wisdom literature of the Bible we hear God’s guidance for our lives.

We can understand the will and desires of God for his people because he reveals himself to humanity through creation, the Law, and relationships within the Pentateuch.

We can use the Historical Books of the Old Testament to understand God’s faithfulness, his loving discipline, and how our obedience to him can draw others to faith.

He is Risen! Darkness has lost and Hope is Restored!

Road to the Cross - Death of Dreams

As we walk in faith we can choose to either hide our faith or share our faith with the world. What will you choose? 

When Jesus comes into our lives we face a collision between the world we lean towards and Jesus. 

God's unfailing love for you and all of our lives. 

This week we look at the reminder that we must hold God in our hearts. 

For some Church is the only place to find God and in fact the church building becomes God and we lose sight that God dwells everywhere.

God uses unlikely people all the time to speak to us, to transform His kingdom, and to inspire others through us.

God remembers his promises despite our past and our sin. God will reclaim his own and bring them home. He not only redeems our past but gives us abundant future.

Our Minds and Jesus! Jesus is Better!

There is a lot of evil in the world working to pull us from what is important, our relationship with Jesus. This Sunday’s message continues our conversation that Jesus is the better choice.

We live in a world with many faith traditions. And while many provide good benefits only Christianity has Jesus. This Sunday we explore our faith vs other faiths and the gift God gives us in Jesus Christ.

Jesus is Better! We all get pulled in by worldly things yet that never seems to fulfill us. Turning to Jesus over the world can give us the hope and fulfillment we seek.

As we look ahead to the new year we will ponder the past. God is reminding us that there is always Hope in the year ahead because He will be there with us.

Christmas Eve Sermon

We face a world brokenness which causes us to desire peace for our lives and the world. Yet we already have peace given to us from our God.

We will explore the gift of Joy as we celebrate the third Sunday in Advent.

Continuation of our sermon series Christmas Gifts that Won’t Break. This Sunday’s sermon is on the Gift of Love. God has given us the most wonderful gift of Love through His Son Jesus Christ.

The first Sunday in Advent is a sermon on the gift of Hope.