Oak Pointe Church • Novi

Wisdom Calls: Without Wisdom Our Nation Runs on Fumes (Part 1)  Proverbs 1 As you settle into bed, you pick up your phone for a quick scroll. Your intentions are harmless. You just want to catch up on the world or maybe even learn something new. “Cut off your toxic friends immediately,” one influencer demands. You swipe. “Vegetables are actually inflammatory and will give you arthritis,” claims a...

The Calling of Congregational Worship (Part 2)  Worship: More Than Music, a Life of Worship  Whether you are a new believer or have been walking in the faith for years, we’ve all stepped into a church for the first time. Maybe you noticed people raising their hands, kneeling or singing at the top of their lungs. Perhaps you felt a bit timid about singing out loud, or maybe you just aren’t an expre...

The Believer’s True Worship (Part 1) Worship: More Than Music, a Life of Worship We give things up all the time. Marriage involves giving up certain comforts and conveniences to care for another person. Parenting requires giving up sleep, time, and personal space for the sake of a child. Generosity implies giving up money and possessions to meet the needs of others.  But Scripture invites us into...

Our Turn with Guest Speaker David Nelms The Timothy Initiative “It’s my turn!” a child shouts from the top of the playground slide. After watching others race down the long curving slide with laughter and joy, he finally steps forward. He’s seen what’s possible and now it’s finally his moment.  Scripture shows how God has been moving His story forward, generation after generation. From the very be...

Praying for Our Daily Needs  (Prayer Part 2) Matthew 6:11-13  We depend on food and water to survive. An individual can only go for about 40 days without food, and only three days without water. We depend on the air in our lungs; without it, we survive only a few minutes. Every breath, every sip, every bite is a reminder that we are not self-sustaining.  So then, who provides these things? It’s ea...

Lord, Teach us to Pray  Prayer (Part 1) Matthew 6:9-10  Most things in life don’t come naturally to us. We need a tour guide when we travel, a mentor to walk with us through parenting, and a teacher to help us learn how to read. In the same way, it’s unrealistic to assume that everything in the Christian life will come naturally the moment we step into faith. When we assume that everything will co...

Pentecost (Part 2)  Fulfillment and Harvest  Acts 10:23-48  Children often insist, “I can do it myself!” as they wobble on their new bike or reach for shoelaces they haven’t quite learned to tie. Teenagers can also strive for independence, convinced they can navigate life themselves. Even adults pride themselves on self-sufficiency, learning new skills from videos, solving problems alone, and push...

Pentecost (Part 1) Promises in the Famine Joel 2:28-32  Awaiting someone’s promised arrival can be thrilling. Children write letters to Santa weeks in advance, bursting with excitement at the thought of his Christmas visit. Families crowd around the airport, scanning every traveler for the familiar face they’ve been longing to see. Parents in the delivery room hold their breath, waiting for that f...

Instruments of God’s Grace  Guest Speaker Steve Zarrilli  Acts 9:36-42  Our world celebrates the loud. We chase after famous people on bright stages, quote authors and podcasters we’ve never met, and take on the agendas that shout the loudest. Yet something in us still longs for the quiet – the soft wind, the lapping waves, the songs of birds at dawn.  Jesus celebrates that quiet place. He lifts u...

Come and See  John 1:43-51  We don’t always grasp how good something is until we experience it ourselves. A famous landmark, a five-star restaurant, even a New York Times bestseller may be highly recommended, but you only know it’s worth it once you’ve seen it for yourself.  In the same way, Jesus invites His followers with a simple call: “Follow me.” Naturally, those who accepted Him couldn’t kee...

The Summons: Grappling With God’s Kingdom and King (Part 14)  The Seed and the Storm Mark 4:35-41  There’s a reason we’re drawn to action movies, thrilling fiction, and dramatic rescue stories: everyone loves a big, cinematic save. But what about the rescues that feel quiet? What about when the miracle looks less like a calmed storm and more like a verse on a page?  In Scripture, Jesus rescued His...

The Summons: Grappling With God’s Kingdom and King The Unconcealable Kingdom  Mark 4:21-25  We’ve all heard the phrase “let’s address the elephant in the room.” It describes that moment when something feels too important to ignore, or so obvious that there might as well be a full-sized elephant standing between you and the other person.  In a way, Jesus’ ministry began in the opposite manner. It a...

The Summons: Grappling With God’s Kingdom and King (Part 13) The Seed of the Kingdom Mark 4:26-34 We’ve all been there. The teacher assigns a group project, and you’re paired with two people who likely won’t do a thing. You spend all week working, and by the time presentation day arrives, your only goal is to make sure the teacher knows exactly who did all the work. From Lego towers in the living...

Risen to Lead YouEaster SundayMark 14:26-29 Humans are often captivated by life’s great mysteries. Questions about why we dream, how life began, or what lies beyond our solar system can feel unexplainable. Yet one question continues to puzzle even the sharpest historians: What sparked the rise of Christianity? Jesus’ life stirred up curiosity and wonder, but His resurrection provides the answer. J...

The Summons: Grappling with God’s Kingdom and King The Parable of the Sower Mark 4:1-20 We’ve all heard that gentle but pointed question, “Are you listening to me?” Not because we’re hard of hearing, but because our attention has drifted. Parents asking a child to repeat back their words aren’t just checking for repetition, they’re checking for presence, engagement, and for a heart that’s tuned in...

The Summons: Grappling With God’s Kingdom and King Mark 3:20-35  When the Kingdom Becomes God’s Family  Family is often the first way we understand who we are. We introduce ourselves through the people we’re connected to, and we give our time and affection to those who share our blood. In Jesus’ day, this was even more intense. Your family line was your identity, your security, and your place in t...

The Summons: Grappling With God’s Kingdom and King Crowds Versus Followers  Mark 3:7-19  We’re often swept into whatever the majority is doing – the music everyone listens to, the clothes everyone wears, even the phrases we use just to blend in. Crowds feel safe and familiar. They offer belonging without requiring anything of us. But does simply blending in ever lead us into the sweetness of the l...

The Summons: Grappling With God’s Kingdom and King New Wine Into Old Wineskins  Mark 3:1-6  No one likes change. Whether it’s a new manager, a new president or a new housing development moving in right across the street, we all know the complaints that come with unfamiliarity. Moving away feels uncomfortable, switching jobs feels unsteady and inviting new people in can feel nerve wracking. But why...

The Summons: Grappling With God’s Kingdom and King (Part 7) The King is Here Mark 2:23-28 Rules can often leave a bitter taste. They can feel confining, stifling creativity and limiting freedom. Authority figures can silence people rather than guide them. Parents can fail to explain the heart behind their rules. Teachers can unintentionally shut down the inspiration of their students. For many, ru...

The Summons: Grappling With God’s Kingdom and King (Part 6) On That Day They Will Fast Mark 2:18-22 Picture this: A sweet smell of pot roast wafts from the kitchen to your room. As you draw closer, you hear vegetables sizzling on the stove and catch a glimpse of the apple pie baking in the oven. Your mother has spent hours preparing a feast for you. But when she serves you a generous helping, you...

The Summons: Grappling With God’s Kingdom and King The Sanitized vs the Scandalous Church  Mark 2:13-17  Jon Morales  Have you ever voiced an unpopular opinion? One that makes people look up from their plates at a dinner party or causes passionate debate amongst friends? These opinions can often be polarizing, occasionally causing people to choose sides, leaving little room for neutrality.  Simila...

The Summons: Grappling With God’s Kingdom and King Mark 2:1-12  Jon Morales  Most of us spend a good portion of our lives learning how to respond to authority. We learn it early, through the parent that tells us when to cross the street, the teacher who decides when recess ends, and the boss who sets the deadlines. Some of these voices are trustworthy while others leave us questioning. But when we...

The Summons: Grappling With God’s Kingdom and King Mark 1:35-45 Nate Lee Most of us have a junk drawer where all kinds of household items get tossed: pens, chargers, receipts and keys, all piled together until it’s hard to tell what’s important. Our lives can often feel the same way. Tasks stack up, responsibilities blur, and the things that matter most get buried under everything else. Thankfully...

The Summons: Grappling With God’s Kingdom and KingMark 1:21-34 Jon Morales It is a common reality in the art world to find a masterpiece hidden beneath an ordinary layer of paint. Countless stories tell of lost Picassos or Magrittes uncovered in the midst of restoration projects. An art restorer’s task is to look past the surface to reveal the masterpiece that lies below. When a famous painting is...

The Summons: Grappling With God’s Kingdom and King Mark 1:14-20  Jon Morales  Picture a typical day in your life: your morning routine, your commute to work, your wind-down time at night. Over the years, these rhythms settle in and become second nature to you. You perfect your breakfast recipe, learn the quickest route across town, and end each evening preparing for the next day. Eventually, the f...