Oakhaven Church Podcast

Jesus’ encounter with the Samaritan woman in John 4 is so full and multi-layered, we revisit their conversation today, having only scratched the surface last week. Jesus is clearly and intentionally pushing back against the stringent norms of first century Hebrew AND ROMAN culture. He entrusts to this woman of another race the most profound teaching of His ministry yet, and chooses her of all His...

We continue our walk through the Gospel of John today and look at Jesus' remarkable interaction with the Samaritan woman at the well in Chapter 4 .  Jesus not only speaks with her, but engages in a depth of meaning in their discussion not yet seen in His ministry, even in his nighttime chat with Nicodemus in the previous chapter. Jesus' disregard for societal norms that would keep Him fr...

As we return to the Gospel of John this morning, Jesus has a clandestine chat with Nicodemus. We find ourselves in Nicodemus' sandals as he has difficulty understanding the deep spiritual truths Jesus shares with him. We take courage from Nicodemus' journey, though, for John will mention him twice more in the course of his Gospel, and we know that Nicodemus completed his journey from dar...

No matter how far you may wander, you are never out of range of God's strong, loving arms.  To investigate this most important of stories further, go here . 

 Last week we talked about being caught off guard by a blind spot.   Blind spots can be dangerous until they are identified.  Once they have been identified, they are only dangerous if we choose to ignore them. To investigate this most important of stories further, go here . 

Have you ever been caught off guard by a blind spot in your car? Blind spots can be dangerous until they are identified.  Once they have been identified, they are only dangerous if we choose to ignore them. To investigate this most important of stories further, go here . 

Good morning, fellow Christ-Followers, and happy Independence Day. We hope you're able to celebrate your freedom in Christ with us in worship this morning at the barn, or virtually therefrom! We are back on our journey in John this morning , looking at the layers of meaning and wonder in Jesus' first miracle at the wedding in Cana. His life-altering presence is with us today and can mani...

We're continuing down the path begun last week in which he looked at our ministry through the lens of Jesus' final words to His followers in Matthew 28 . Before He charges His followers with any task, though, Jesus establishes His authority to do so. As in, He's got all of it. All authority.  We've seen in John that Jesus is in the first place from the very beginning (as echoed...

No distractions. Just progress. Duey brings a message inspired by The Great Commission .  To investigate this most important of stories further, go here . 

As we work our way out of the pandemic, it feels good to take a look at the way we continue to love one another through it.  We have farther to go, and much more love to share. To investigate this most important of stories further, go here . 

As Jesus calls His first disciples in John’s Gospel, we see ourselves in the story and remember His call to each one of us. He is seeking us even as we seek Him. HE SEES US just as He sees Nathanial. He distills and transforms our identity, even changing our names like Simon. He is the one who does all the work in this brief cascade of disciples. All Andrew and Phillip do is invite others to “come...

God takes a major step in His rescue plan on the day of Pentecost as He pours out His Spirit  and breaks down the barriers of race and gender. The exclusivity of the previous chapter of the Abraplan gives way to the broad call and welcome to all. Jesus is at the head of the table, and has already dealt with any sin that might have kept us away. Come to the table! To investigate this most important...

Counting 7 weeks from Passover, this was the Sunday so many years ago that the Holy Spirit came in universe-changing power upon our fellow Christ-followers in Jerusalem as described in the book of Acts .  Pray As You Go has a wonderful yet brief reflection ( find it here ) on this passage if you want to dive deeper. We will rejoice and celebrate the Spirit's presence in our lives in our time...

John's narrative hits the road running as it opens on John the Baptist already well under way with his ministry, enough so that word has reached the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem that someone's up to something up in the wilderness. John gives us quick insight into how things are run in Jerusalem, as priests and Levites - those appointed by Yahveh to govern and enable the spiritual life of...

John seems particularly concerned as he ends his prologue and is about to launch into narrative that we understand that the core of the Jesus Message is grace. Everything is about Jesus - everything has been building toward and pointing to Him since before time - and Jesus is about grace. Real, firm, dependable, you can count on it grace.  To investigate this most important of stories further, go...

We’re continuing our new study of the Gospel of John , “fleshing out” John’s amazing, dense prologue a bit more, and striving to wrap our minds and hearts around the cosmic message of God becoming human so we could look Him in the eyes, and vice versa.  To investigate this most important of stories further, go here . 

In Acts 4 , the members of the Sanhedrin find themselves confused as to how these "ordinary men," the apostles of Jesus, could be causing such a stir in their country.  They failed to see that these "ordinary men" were empowered by an extraordinary God.  That same God empowers each of us.  See what God can do with ordinary. To investigate this most important of stories further,...

We commence a study of John's Gospel by surveying the other 3 - Mark, Matthew and Luke, known as the Synoptic ("seen together") Gospels due to the closeness of their narratives. While the Synoptics have much in common with each other, they also each have a distinct voice, style, and message. John is clearly writing after they've all been completed and is making sure - as an eye...

We bring to a close our months-long “Going to Church” series seeking in part to answer the question “Why should I bother to go to church?” More importantly, though, our deliberate look at several aspects of our life together gives us the chance to be more intentional in our time together, working against a going through the motions and instead finding the living God in our midst: inhabiting our pr...

A dramatic narrative sermon from one of Jesus' closest disciples helps us explore His story from a more personal point of view.  To investigate this most important of stories further, go here . 

As Passover begins in the Jewish calendar this weekend, we know from the Gospels where Jesus was at this time of year during the final days of His mortal life among us. So much of His ministry in this final week is detailed for us in His marvelous word! The coming of King Jesus to Jerusalem as He rides upon a donkey is a singular moment in time as He makes full claim to the title KING by invoking...

As we continue to reflect on our walk with Jesus and the role that prayer plays in that walk, we step further through The Lord’s Prayer to focus on the most personal and challenging part: forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors . Jesus teaches further on this in His parable in Matthew 18 , putting His quick mention of OUR extending forgiveness in larger perspective.  Lord, have mercy on us...

We continue our in-depth look at prayer through the lens of the prayer Jesus gave His followers in Matthew 6 .  This week, we consider "Give us this day our daily bread," which seems to be a simple ask at first, but then opens our eyes and hearts to lessons on priorities, stewardship, fear, and faith.  Jesus' parable in Luke 12:13-34 serves as clarifying touchstone as we learn the d...

We continue our meditations on prayer in the life of our community and as individuals through the lens of The Lord's Prayer in Matthew 6 . Today we reach “Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” As we seek to be agents of God’s kingdom walking in the steps of Jesus, we see that kingdom work comes in many forms, all empowered by the Spirit given to us at our baptism,...

As we continue our look at prayer and its role in our lives, we explore The Lord's Prayer and the way it renews our identity and reminds us of what matters most.   As part of today's podcast, bonus tracks from before and after our service are included.  To investigate this most important of stories further, go here .