Oasis Church

Ancient Israeli farmers would tie cords around their first fruits while still growing, marking them as belonging to God before knowing their full harvest. This practice reveals a powerful principle: unmarked fruit gets lost in a busy life. We lose what matters most not because it isn't there, but because we fail to honor, secure, and care for it. To protect what's important, we must mark it intentionally, set it apart from ordinary things, protect it with boundaries, and consistently return to nurture it. Whatever you do with the first determines everything else in your life.

Life's overwhelming demands can gradually pull us away from what matters most. Martha welcomed Jesus into her home with good intentions, but her preparation became distraction. While she busied herself with many things, her sister Mary chose to sit at Jesus' feet and listen. Jesus gently corrected Martha, explaining that Mary had chosen the one thing necessary. We often drift spiritually not through sudden rebellion, but through gradual over-occupation with good activities. The key is maintaining connection with Christ first, because apart from Him we can do nothing. When we seek God's kingdom first and remain intentionally present with Him, everything else finds its proper place.

Many Christians live like spiritual orphans, unaware of their incredible inheritance through Christ. Just as Kathy Boone died homeless while having $900,000 waiting for her, believers often struggle in areas where God has already provided victory. Our spiritual inheritance isn't something we earn but something we already possess through Jesus' finished work on the cross. This inheritance includes salvation, healing, peace, and authority as children of God. The key is renewing our minds to understand our true identity in Christ and living as sons and daughters rather than slaves.

Life often feels chaotic and overwhelming, but the secret to freedom and order isn't found in what you accomplish at the end, but in what you choose to do first. The biblical principle of First Fruits teaches us that whatever leads your life will ultimately control your life. When the Israelites brought their first harvest portion to God, they acknowledged Him as their source and trusted Him for what was coming. This same principle applies today: your first dollar determines how you handle wealth, your first hour shapes your entire day, and your first response influences relationships. Freedom comes from the disciplines and choices you make at the beginning, not from waiting until you have enough at the end.

The resurrection of Jesus Christ offers believers far more than forgiveness—it provides an entirely new life. When Jesus declared He is the resurrection and the life, He revealed His power to give us His own life, not just improve our old one. The cross ended our old way of living that was dominated by sin, self-centeredness, and separation from God. Through the resurrection, believers receive Christ's life living within them, complete with His mind, love, peace, and righteousness. Many believers struggle because they try to live their own life while the Holy Spirit dwells within them, creating internal conflict. The solution is choosing life—choosing Jesus—moment by moment through faith that acts on what we believe.

The story of Lazarus reveals a profound truth about life itself. When Jesus declared He is the resurrection and the life, He wasn't just talking about conquering death - He was offering to restore life at its very source. The Bible describes three types of life: physical body life, soul life of mind and emotions, and spiritual God life. Since the Garden of Eden, humanity has been drawing life from the wrong source - ourselves rather than God. This self-sourced life leaves us constantly depleted, driven by thoughts, desires, and emotions that never satisfy. Jesus came to reconnect us to the true fountain of living water, offering not just a better life but an entirely new source of life flowing from within.

Success is a blessing from God, but it comes with hidden dangers that can deceive us if we're not careful. The key is being grounded - strengthening your soul while building external success. Just as Isaiah 54 teaches us to lengthen our cords and strengthen our stakes, we must ensure our inner spiritual foundation matches our outer expansion. Success can hijack our priorities, disconnect us from meaningful relationships, and distort our true purpose. When we put God's kingdom first, stay connected to Him and others, and remember we're stewards rather than owners, we can experience true abundance that flows through us to bless others.

Many believers find themselves stuck between God's promise and their blessing, settled in comfort zones that prevent progress. True prosperity requires intentional preparation and action, not just God's favor. Using Abraham's journey as a model, we learn that faith progresses in stages, not leaps. Each stage requires moving forward despite uncertainty, worshiping God, and taking praise pauses to acknowledge progress. To prepare for God's blessings, we must strengthen four foundation areas: our footing (how we use time and energy), our faith (what we study and who we fellowship with), our finances (budgeting and stewardship), and our faithfulness (keeping commitments). Progress happens when we make plans based on what God has already revealed, act in faith despite what we see, and take regular praise pauses to celebrate how far we've come.

Many people have dreams and goals but remain stuck because they lack a plan for progress. Progress means closing the gap between where you are and where you're going. Abraham's journey teaches us that even faith-filled people get stuck, but God gives second chances to continue moving forward. The key is creating a simple one-step plan: take one step out of where you're stuck and one step toward where God is calling you. Don't try to map out the entire journey - just focus on the next two steps and trust God to direct your path.

Stop downsizing your dreams to fit your circumstances and start preparing for God's bigger plan! What if that small thing you have is exactly what God wants to multiply? The widow had just a flask of oil, Moses had a shepherd's staff, and four lepers had only shuffling feet - but God turned ordinary into extraordinary. What do you have that you've been minimizing instead of maximizing? Your breakthrough might be one faithful step away.

God is calling us to prepare for prosperity by closing the gap between what we have and what we're doing with it. Like the widow in 2 Kings who had only a flask of oil but multiplied it into abundance, we often undervalue what's already in our possession. The key isn't finding new resources but maximizing what we already have. This requires taking honest inventory of our time, talents, and resources, then being fully faithful with them. Preparation for breakthrough demands sacrifice - giving up some of what we currently need to make room for what God wants to do. When we enlarge our tent and strengthen our stakes, God promises to fill the expanded space with His blessing.

God doesn't want to give you something new - He wants you to use what you already have in a completely different way. What if the breakthrough you're praying for isn't about getting more, but about stretching what's already in your hands? Are you ready to envision more than you already see?

The story of the Shunammite woman in 2 Kings 4 demonstrates how making room for God in our lives positions us for supernatural blessings. She prepared a special room for the prophet Elisha, which led to receiving a miraculous son. When the child later died, her faith remained strong as she took him to that same room where God's presence dwelt. Through her unwavering faith and refusal to speak defeat, she witnessed another miracle - her son's resurrection. Making room for God means giving Him access to every area of our lives and creating space for His presence through prayer, worship, and obedience.

When life leaves you with nothing but a handful of hope, God can still work miracles. The story of Elijah and the widow in Zarephath shows us what happens when hope is deferred - we question whether we hear God, our faith gets robbed, and our willingness to obey diminishes. However, even when faith feels weak, we can prepare for breakthrough by increasing our ability to hear God, strengthening our capacity to believe, and stepping out in obedience with whatever we have. Sometimes surrendering what we're clinging to is exactly what God needs to perform a miracle. Your assignment might be someone else's answer, and your obedience doesn't just affect you - it can change things for many people

Are you creating more room for your future or for temporary pleasures? God will make the way, but you have to make the room. Sometimes you need to buy the laptop case before you have the laptop - showing God you're serious about preparing for what He's promised. What faith move will you take this week to prepare for the breakthrough God has planned for your life?

As we enter 2026, instead of making resolutions we'll abandon, we can align ourselves with God's purposes. According to the Hebrew calendar, this year represents multiplication and connection - a time when our intentional choices will hook us to God's abundance. The theme is prepare to prosper, meaning to break forth into success in every area of life. Like the barren woman in Isaiah 54 who was told to enlarge her tent before receiving children, we must make room for God's blessings before we see them. This requires spreading out our hearts, minds, and expectations while driving stakes of faith through intentional actions that connect our future promises to our present reality.

The Christmas story reveals how God shows up in unexpected ways, transforming silent nights into holy encounters. Many struggle to experience God because they fabricate expectations of how He should appear rather than allowing Him to reveal Himself authentically. The God you see may not be the God you want, but He is always the God you need. Scripture reveals ten primary ways to encounter God: through worship, suffering, obedience, prayer, community, service, work, sacraments, nature, and stillness. God also speaks to us in ten distinct ways, from instructional to intuitive to audible communication. Divine experiences are designed to transform us and exalt God, not just inform or elevate ourselves.

The shepherds didn't just want to hear about Jesus—they wanted to see Him personally. What if the difference between knowing about God and actually knowing God could transform everything about your faith? There's a profound difference between being a scholar and being a son or daughter. Which are you pursuing?

The real Christmas story wasn't a peaceful silent night - it was five days of grueling travel, no room at the inn, and giving birth in a stable. Yet in that darkest moment, God wasn't absent - He was arriving. What if your silent night is actually God preparing something greater? Sometimes we need to stop putting on our shoes to go find God and instead take them off to recognize we're already standing on holy ground.

Your potential bears the magnitude of God's imagination, not your own. What if the very gifts you've been taking for granted are actually signs that God already has a plan to use you? Stop focusing on your limitations and start embracing the masterpiece He created you to be. What unique ability has God given you that you've been underutilizing?

What if the words spoken over you as a child are still shaping how you love today? Seven childhood experiences either empower you to live in your destiny or imprison you from your potential. The difference between thriving and surviving often comes down to one thing: whether you experienced uncaused love or conditional love. You are God's masterpiece, created for works He planned long ago. It's never too late to become what you should have been.

Were you made to be a reflection or a duplication? Your childhood experiences either empowered you to be who God designed or imprisoned you in fear and hiding. The space you were given, the security you felt, and whether you were celebrated or tolerated still shapes how you use your gifts today. What would change if you truly believed you were made for God's use, not man's use or abuse?

Is your gratitude based on your circumstances or God's character? True biblical thankfulness isn't about feeling guilty for complaining - it's about recognizing the unchanging goodness of God that stands like a monument above every situation you face. What if gratitude could actually serve as spiritual warfare against negativity and fear?

Ever wonder why some people use their gifts boldly while others hold back? The answer might surprise you - it's not about your adult experiences, but what happened in childhood. However you experienced love as a child is how you'll express love as an adult. But here's the good news: you don't have to stay imprisoned by your past. What childhood message is still holding your gifts hostage?

You weren't God's afterthought - you were His forethought. Before sin ever entered the picture, God had a masterpiece in mind: YOU. But what's keeping you from stepping into that extraordinary purpose He saved you for? What would you attempt for God if you knew you couldn't fail because He's actively helping you succeed?

Are you living as God's masterpiece or just trying to survive? God didn't create you to wander aimlessly - He equipped you with a specific toolbox of gifts and abilities for His purpose. The question isn't whether you have gifts, but whether you can see them. What if your work could become worship instead of validation-seeking? Discover the three types of gifts God has given every believer and learn how to shift from performance-based living to being-based living.

You may have mixed it up, but you didn't mess it up. Your potential has been hidden with Christ in God from the very beginning, protected from every mistake and poor choice. What would change in your life if you truly believed your purpose was never destroyed, just waiting to be reconnected? Stop settling for mediocrity when you were fashioned for glory.

Are you living as the masterpiece God created you to be, or are you burying your potential? God doesn't just want your gifts back—He wants you to develop them to make a difference in the world. What would happen if you took that talent you've been hiding and started developing it today? There's always more in you than you think!

Could your words and actions be the difference between someone feeling worthless or valued today? Discover how to intentionally help others know they matter through seeing their value, speaking their worth, and showing their importance. When was the last time you told someone specifically why they matter to you? The way people know they matter to God is by knowing they matter to us

When tragedy strikes, we desperately seek answers. But what if God is calling us not to understand, but simply to stand? Discover how to find strength when life doesn't make sense. Are you trying to understand everything, or learning to stand through anything? #FaithOverUnderstanding #StandFirm

Do you ever wonder if you truly matter? Like a single dot in a masterpiece painting, you are essential to God's design. He knows you, wants you, needs you, misses you when you're absent, and sees you as enough—even before you were born. What would change in your life if you fully embraced this truth today?

Ever feel more like God's mess than His masterpiece? What if every 'flaw' you see is actually an intentional part of His divine design? Just as every dot in Seurat's famous painting has purpose, you are not random—you're essential. God knows every detail about you (even the number of hairs on your head!) and still deeply wants relationship with you. Discover why you were truly born to matter. #BornToMatter #FaithJourney

Do you ever feel invisible, unheard, or alone? Psalm 139 reveals an incredible truth: you matter deeply to God. He knows you completely, sees you constantly, and never leaves your side—even in your darkest moments. The God who knows you best loves you most. How would your life change if you truly believed this?

Awethentic - 4 Laws of Awethentic PurposeAre you defining yourself by what you do or who God created you to be? Your worth was established before your first achievement. God designed your unique traits, even the ones you consider flaws, for a specific purpose. Discover the four laws of authentic purpose and start living as the masterpiece you were created to be.

Are you living as the masterpiece God designed you to be? We all search for meaning, mattering, and mastery—but the key to finding them isn't in fitting in, it's in standing out with your God-given uniqueness. Stop apologizing for who you are. The world needs YOUR authentic expression of God's image! 

What if your quirks aren't flaws but features? God didn't create you to be well-rounded—He created you to be wonderfully unique! Discover how to embrace your authentic self as God's masterpiece and live out the purpose He designed specifically for you. Are you ready to stop fitting in and start standing out in the way God intended?

You weren't stolen because you were worthless. You were stolen because you were priceless. Just like masterpiece paintings that thieves target, the enemy recognizes your true value. Ready to discover how God is restoring you to your original design? Your past pain isn't wasted—it's becoming part of your purpose. What if your greatest struggles are qualifying you to help others in ways no one else can?

You are not an afterthought - you are a forethought of God. Like a master artist, God crafted you with intention, originality, beauty and purpose before the foundation of the world. Are you living as the masterpiece He designed you to be

Are you secretly keeping an escape route back to your old life? Looking back is the first step to going back. Learn how to burn bridges, break cycles, and banish lies that keep you trapped in the past. What's the one thing you need to eliminate this week to ensure there's no way back? #BreakingFree #NoWayBack

Has God planted a dream in your heart that now seems impossible? Joseph waited 22 years to see his dream fulfilled, going from prison to palace in a single day. Your dream may take longer than expected and follow a different path than planned, but if it's from God, it WILL have its day. Are you willing to adjust your timeline rather than abandon your dream?

Are you stuck looking backward while God is creating something new ahead? Betrayal, rejection, and failure don't have to define your future. God is making a way in your wilderness right now—but you'll miss it if you're dwelling on what's behind you. What past hurt are you ready to release today? #FindingYourWay #NewBeginnings

Stuck between where you've been and where you're going? God doesn't promise a way out—He promises to be with you as you go THROUGH. When the Red Sea is before you and Pharaoh's army behind you, remember: the God of possible is making a way where there seems to be no way. What impossible situation are you facing today?

Facing an impossible situation? God specializes in making a way where there seems to be no way! Discover the 'Big Four' strategies that can transform your impossible circumstances: Speak God's power, state His purpose, stand on His promises, and surrender your pain to praise. What 'no way' situation are you facing today that God wants to turn into a testimony?

Pastor Ray Popham beings a powerful new series, God Of Possible!Join Pastor Ray, as we look at all the different possibilities we see and all the things God made possible in the Word of God.This week’s message, “No Way  In”

Pastor Ray Popham beings a powerful new series, God Of Possible!Join Pastor Ray, as we look at all the different possibilities we see and all the things God made possible in the Word of God.This week’s message, “No Way  Out”

Pastor Ray's continues the series Apprehended. Apprehended is a 7 Part Frame work for being able to have, cease and apprehended for whatever you want in your life.This week’s message, “ Importance Of Others”Join us as we explore how to step into the life God has planned for you with clarity, faith, and purpose.

Pastor Ray’s continues the series Apprehended. Apprehended is a 7 Part Frame work for being able to have, cease and apprehended for whatever you want in your life.This week’s message, “Train”Join us as we explore how to step into the life God has planned for you with clarity, faith, and purpose.

Pastor Ray's continues the series Apprehended. Apprehended is a 7 Part Frame work for being able to have, cease and apprehended for whatever you want in your life.This week’s message, “Mark” Join us as we explore how to step into the life God has planned for you with clarity, faith, and purpose.

Pastor Ray's continues the series Apprehended. Apprehended is a 7 Part Frame work for being able to have, cease and apprehended for whatever you want in your life.This week’s message, “Mark” Join us as we explore how to step into the life God has planned for you with clarity, faith, and purpose.