Ocean Lakes Church Service

For the past several Sundays we have been thinking together on some of the basics of our Christian faith. We have explored the meaning of that big word, "Regeneration," or as Jesus told Nicodemus, "You must be born from above" - a new kind of birth. Then we asked the question, "How Can I Be Sure I Am a Christian?" Last Sunday we dealt with the probing issue of whether or not what we profess carrie...

Have you ever known a person who, to all outward appearances, was a fine, upstanding, wonderful Christian, as you observed that person in church on Sundays? All is well when you see how loving, kind, and active that one is, but when you have some dealings with that person during the week, you would think that you have an entirely different person. What is done on Sundays is not at all like what ha...

If you were to walk down the street and ask the average person, "Do you think you'll go to heaven when you die?" you might get a variety of answers. But suppose you were in a church somewhere and you asked someone, "How can you be sure you are a Christian? You might get an equal mixture of answers. Is it presuming on God to say, "Yes, I am a Christian?" Is the person who affirms, "I know I am a Ch...

The title of today's message is "Regeneration." You may be quick to ask, "What could be more boring, less interesting, than a subject like that?" This word is one that preachers sometimes throw around in sermons, and it sounds very intelligent, scholarly, and very theological - - but what does it mean, and how can this be something that I need to be concerned about? Well, stay with us for a few mi...

As we think about the subject for today, looking back at this past Christmas, I want ask two questions: What did you GET for Christmas? The second question is "What did you GIVE someone for Christmas?" We often think of gifts we have received, but what about what we have given? Jesus said that it is more blessed to give than to receive, and so as we look back now for a few days, we are thinking th...

We welcome you to our worship service today from Ocean Lakes Family Campground in Myrtle Beach, S.C. On this final Sunday in the year 2023, we look backward over the events of the Christmas celebration and take one look at two groups of people who are important for us before we close this chapter. These are the Wise Men and the shepherds. They each have something to teach us and where we go from h...

Can we believe that Christmas for another year has already arrived? Tomorrow is that special day when we celebrate the birth of our Savior. Are we ready for this? That's the subject of today's message, and the implication is that being ready means much more than is ordinarily thought of. All of us here at Ocean Lakes wish and pray that all our listeners who join us by podcast will have a blessed a...

For the past two Sundays, we have been thinking about two people who were very important parts of the Christmas story: Mary, the mother of Jesus, and Joseph, the earthly father. Today our subject is "The Holy Child of Bethlehem" and this is the central person in the entire story. Our scriptural basis for today is Luke, chapter 2. Let's look at the background of some of the people mentioned at the...

Last Sunday we centered our thoughts on "The Forgotten Man at Christmas." Today we turn our thoughts to another person in the Christmas drama, but this person is far from forgotten. No, once again, we're not thinking about Jesus, but rather at the other earthly parent of our Lord. It is Mary, the mother of Jesus. What was it like to give birth to the One who would be the Savior of mankind? A popul...

Have you ever had the terrible experience of realizing all too late that you had forgotten to send someone a Christmas card, or even forgotten to get that person a gift, when all the while you had fully intended to do so? Christmas is a time when we realize that we may have forgotten some very important things or people in our lives. The sermon today is about "The Forgotten Man at Christmas." You...

We welcome you to our worship service today from Ocean Lakes Family Campground in Myrtle Beach, S.C. Are you ready for Christmas? Well, that's a bit early to be asking that question, isn't it? What will "getting ready for Christmas" mean for you? It surely should be more than just getting all the gifts bought, wrapped, and put under the tree. More than planning all the meals for the season. More t...

Can you believe that Thanksgiving Day is only a few days away? This day has been a tradition in America for quite a few years now. This morning we will look at a few of our origins of this day and then turn our attention to the real reason for the day, which is not only "giving thanks" but also "living thanks." If we do both of these -- giving and living thanks - - what will it look like in our li...

Have you ever heard the expression, “We’re living in quite a day! The world has gone to the dogs.” That sounds very pessimistic, but that observation is not new at all. Hundreds of years ago a man named Peter preached a sermon in which he called for people to “save yourselves from this crooked world.” His sermon is recorded in the Book of Acts in the New Testament. Today we’re going to be looking...

Have you ever thought what it would be like to die? Well, that's not a very pleasant question, is it? Do we just float away into nothingness? Do we see a bright light at the end of the tunnel? Is this life on earth all that there is? There are many different opinions as to what happens to us when we die. Christians say that there is life after death, and that a home in heaven is reserved for all w...

A popular opinion among many people today, including many people who have their names on the role of some church, is that the organized church has seen its day. It is now time to discard the church as we know it. While many might not be so bold as to say this, the actions of millions of people in America, as well as elsewhere, would indicate that the church is a "sinking ship." There is much relia...

Have you ever heard the expression, "All roads lead to heaven; it doesn't make any difference which road you take. They all lead to the same place." This is a popular opinion which many people today have, but is it really true? Is everybody going to end up in heaven, just as long as they are on "some road?" There is a similar question that is the subject of our thinking for this morning: "How Can...

Unless you've been "living under a rock" for a while, you will be aware that some recent news outlets have reported amazing archeological discoveries which they say prove the accuracy of portions of the Bible. Can we trust these reports? What about the person called Jesus? Was He an actual person, or is He like some fairy-tale person? Today we are asking the question "How Can We Believe What the N...

One of the most universal spiritual experiences that human beings have is that of prayer. Even the proverbial "atheist in a foxhole" may cry out to God in a time of crisis. Prayers are offered at public gatherings, such as in a church service, or even in civic or political meetings. A saintly Christian mother may pray daily for a wayward child. But do our prayers make any difference in the final o...

Today we continue our series of messages on the general subject of "How Can We Believe?" Last Sunday we asked, "How can we believe in a loving God, in a world of suffering?" Today is somewhat of a follow-up of where we were a week ago. We all have challenges that face us, whether they are physical in nature (illness) or maybe in some other manner, such as financial, strained relationships, job sec...

We welcome you to our worship service today from Ocean Lakes Family Campground in Myrtle Beach, S.C. When we hear about a person who has been stricken with a terrible disease, maybe even a life-threatening illness or a terminal sickness, our hearts go out to that person. And if that illness causes the person to have to endure great suffering which medicine cannot seem to help, it is often a normal...

Have you ever found yourself in a tight situation, "in hot water," and someone comes to you trying to help? Some of these well-meaning friends may be somewhat like Job's "comforters" in the Old Testament; they are more of a hurt than a help. One of the worn-out, trite expressions we hear in hard times is "Everything is going to work out all right." But will it? What can we learn from God's Word, t...

For several Sundays here at Ocean Lakes our thinking has been on the general subject of faith and how we as Christians can have a firm faith on which to stand in these difficult days that surround us. Today we are beginning a series of messages, all on the subject of "How Can We Believe?" Today, the question is "How Can We Believe" (In God, in a Scientific Age?" It is an often-asked question. Our...

If a law-enforcement person, a coroner, medical examiner, or some other person of authority were to be called to a crime scene, one of the duties which would occupy their time and efforts would be to gather all the evidence possible about that situation. We have been thinking together for the past several Sundays about the subject of "Faith." Is there any evidence we as Christians can find which w...

Those of you who listen regularly to our podcast heard me say last Sunday that the subject of the sermon was "Top Priority." But if you stayed with me till the end of the message, you also heard me say that I didn't finish all I had planned to say. So - today's subject is "Top Priority - # 2." We will pick up right where we left off last week, as we continue to look at the most important issues of...