Oasis Faith Community Podcast

Common misconceptions about grace make us think it’s a magic pill or elixir that we can use while in the depths of sin to be saved. However, getting right with God isn’t solely dependent on us… but it does require the powerful and transformative grace of God in our lives. churchofthelakes.org

Church of the Lakes’ One Church Celebration.

As we live in the “in-between time” in our current circumstances, we can look to Abraham and the covenant God made with Him to offer us encouragement and hope. churchofthelakes.org

Getting right with God first involves an understanding of our own battle with sin. 1 John tells us not to “love the world,” and we can look to the example of Jesus as we choose to love God and hate sin. We must remember that God’s kingdom is forever and this world is temporary. churchofthelakes.org

Jesus creates the greatest commandment by combining two passages of scripture, Deuteronomy 6 and Leviticus 19. This commandment encourages us to love God, love our neighbors, and love ourselves – without all three of these things overflowing out of an abundance of God’s love for us, we will not keep our lives in proper order. […]

By His authority, Jesus has given us an assignment, to make disciples. This assignment should be at the central core of what we do and we can rest assured that Jesus will be with us each step of the way. churchofthelakes.org

There is a spiritual battle all around us, whether we take it seriously or not.  In order to experience victory in this battle, we must saturate ourselves with the gospel, putting on the “full armor of God” that Paul speaks about in Ephesians 6. churchofthelakes.org

Holiness, we see through the biblical text, is not something we do on our own strength, but it is something that comes when we experience the presence of God and His proclamation over our lives. We are declared holy and can therefore live into that holiness. churchofthelakes.org

In order to understand our true identity, we must first understand the relational nature of God, and realize that we were made for Godly community.  The question of “Who am I?” can only be answered when we know who we are in Christ, rather than answered by interest groups or radical individualism. churchofthelakes.org

By looking at our lives through the lens of God’s Word, we see that the Word brings order out of chaos, and the Word will one day redeem what sin has destroyed. churchofthelakes.org

Racism is a form of partiality, which is a sin and directly goes against the character of God. As Christians, we must not show partiality, but rather, consider others better than ourselves. churchofthelakes.org

Many people want to know “God’s will” for their lives.  By looking at 1 Corinthians 2:10-16 and by having an appropriate understanding of God’s providential and moral will, we will be able to live personally fulfilling lives. churchofthelakes.org

Christian grit is a key element to leadership as it allows a leader to persevere in the face of apathy. We can accrue more grit in life by finding internal motivation from the examples of the Christian Hall of Fame and from our Lord, Jesus Christ. churchofthelakes.org

As we see in Mark’s “go-gospel,” Jesus spent much of his ministry as a servant leader, waiting on others rather than asking them to wait on him. We must throw off entitlement and revenge, and instead realize that true greatness is found in service and sacrifice. churchofthelakes.org

Good leaders value mentorship, and in the church, this happens when we intentionally make disciples of Jesus Christ through relying on the strength of grace, developing others intentionally, and enduring faithfully. churchofthelakes.org