Refuge Church Ojai Valley

What do you do when God shows mercy to someone you wouldn’t? As we close Modern Day Jonah, we arrive at one of the most surprising endings in Scripture — not a story about a city changed, but a prophet confronted by the mercy of God. Because God is always in the pursuit business. Always in the mercy business. Always in the renewal business. The hard question isn’t whether God will show mercy. The...

What if your rescue was only the beginning? Jonah’s story could have ended with grace in the fish. Instead, God spoke again: “The word of the Lord came to Jonah a second time…” This week we look at the God who rescues, restores, and sends. Because the Gospel was never meant to stop with us. Your past doesn’t disqualify you. Your failures don’t remove your calling. We never outgrow our need for gra...

Have you ever felt completely qualified one moment… and completely unqualified the next? Jonah knew what it meant to hear God’s voice. He also knew what it meant to run from it. This week we continue our "Modern Day Jonah" series and step into one of the most honest moments in Scripture — the place where Jonah finally stops running, finds himself with nowhere left to look, and remembers the Lord....

Most of us know Jonah as the prophet who ran from God. But beneath the surface is a story about a man who struggled to trust God's heart—for others and for himself. The truth is, nobody is above running. We run from difficult conversations, difficult people, difficult callings, and sometimes from the very places where God wants to meet us. But when we run from God, we don't just leave behind our p...

We all worship something. The question isn't whether we're worshippers—it's whether we're giving our worship to someone truly worthy of it. As we conclude our 1 > 99 series, we'll explore how an encounter with the living God changes everything. When we see God for who He truly is, our minds are renewed, our hearts are transformed, our priorities shift, and our lives begin to tell a different st...

We all long for connection, purpose, and a place to belong. But the kind of life Jesus offers isn't found by simply being around people—it's found by walking through Him. This week in our 1 > 99 series, we're exploring how Jesus, the Good Shepherd, invites us into a community marked by protection, healing, purpose, and real relationships. In a culture that often settles for isolation, distracti...

Does truth actually exist? In a world full of “your truth” and “my truth,” we’ll look at what Scripture says about THE truth — Jesus himself — and what it means to be a church that refuses to compromise on it. We’ll explore how to find truth, take refuge in it, wield it as a weapon in spiritual battle, and share it with the lost sheep around us in a way that is both bold and loving. Whether you’re...

What if the life God is calling us to is bigger than the comfort we’ve settled for? This week we launch our new series, 1 is Greater than the 99, a journey through the heart of Jesus — the Shepherd who leaves the ninety-nine to pursue the one. As we begin, we’re asking a foundational question: Will we choose comfort, or will we answer the call? Following Jesus has never been about staying safe, st...

This Sunday, we’re looking at the powerful stories of women in Scripture whose lives reveal what it means to walk in the Spirit. Through obedience. Through surrender. Through suffering. Through faithfulness. From Eve to Hannah, Ruth to Mary, we see that God has always worked powerfully through mothers willing to trust Him—even when the road was costly. Their stories remind us that anointing isn’t...

Two big, absolutely essential words. Intercessor. Advocate. Words that reveal something powerful about the heart of God toward us. When life feels overwhelming, when anxiety is loud, when fear takes over, when you don’t even have the words to pray—the Holy Spirit is already at work. He knows. He sees. He speaks on your behalf. And when shame tells you to hide, the Holy Spirit doesn’t lead you deep...

Where do you go for comfort? Is it control? Success? Proving yourself? Or something deeper? Jesus didn’t leave us to figure life out on our own. He gave us the Holy Spirit—our Comforter. Not comfort through autonomy… but through surrender. Not comfort through ego… but through mercy and peace. He meets us with truth when we need direction, with perspective when life feels overwhelming, with a remin...

As we step into this message with our Associate Pastor, Derry Brooks, we’re reminded that the Holy Spirit is not distant or abstract—He is God with us. He is the Counselor Jesus promised. He dwells within His people and is actively at work in their lives. The Holy Spirit is personal. He is someone you can know and respond to. He guides you into truth when life feels confusing. He convicts, not to...

Do you believe the Holy Spirit is real… or just an idea? Not a force. Not energy. Not something to control. A Person. One who speaks, guides, convicts, comforts—and lives in you. So what does that actually mean for your everyday life? Who are you really relying on? And what might need to be surrendered so you can actually grow? This week, we’re diving into the person of the Holy Spirit—and why you...

Hope has a name. Today we gather to celebrate a hope that does not end at the grave — a hope that meets us in our wounds, speaks into our questions, and holds us when we feel like we are running out of strength. A hope that reaches into yesterday, steadies us in today, and stretches far beyond what we can see. A hope not built on what we can earn, but on what has already been finished. Come and be...

In a world full of competing loyalties — religion, culture, comfort, success — Jesus doesn’t ask for part of us. He invites all of us. This Palm Sunday, we’re stepping into the tension of a crowd that shouted “Hosanna” one day and “Crucify Him” just days later. As we open Scripture, we’ll wrestle with an honest question: what are we really sold out to? Is it Jesus… or something we’ve built around...

In a culture full of mixed messages about identity, love, and sexuality, God offers something different — something better. This week, we’re talking about holiness — not as restriction, but as invitation. An invitation into a life marked by honor, freedom, and wholeness. As we open Scripture, we’ll explore how God’s design for our lives is rooted in His love, His wisdom, and His desire to protect...

Transformation isn’t just about changing habits — it’s about becoming more like Jesus in every part of our lives. This week in our “Christians Are…” series, we explore how God works in us to shape our hearts, minds, and communities with our associate pastor Zack Totten. From receiving the Word with joy, to turning away from the patterns of the world, God’s Spirit is at work making us new, reflecti...

Encouragement might sound simple — maybe even a little soft. But in the kingdom of God, encouragement is anything but small. Scripture calls believers to build one another up in ways that are bold, intentional, and deeply transformative. The kind of encouragement Christians are called to isn’t about surface-level positivity — it’s about strengthening faith, reminding each other of truth, and point...

What does godly leadership actually look like? In a world that often elevates platform over character, Scripture calls Christian leaders to something deeper — lives marked by integrity, devotion, holiness, and humility. Leadership in God’s kingdom starts at home, flows from a surrendered life, and is shaped by a commitment to guard the Gospel and care for people well. This message in our “Christia...

Following Jesus doesn’t mean we ignore the reality of the battle around us — it means we learn to see it clearly. This week we talk about spiritual warfare: the unseen struggle, the very real resistance to our faith, and the power God has given us to stand firm. Not with fear, not fighting the wrong enemies, and never on our own — but strengthened by His Spirit and anchored in His victory. Join us...

Every life is telling a story. The question is—what story is yours pointing to? This week, as we continue our journey through Thessalonians, we’re talking about what it means to live as people shaped by God’s mission, formed by His truth, and marked by a hope that’s bigger than our circumstances. Not perfect people. Not people with all the answers. But people whose lives and words point to what Go...

What if the Christian life was never meant to be lived in our own strength? This week, we’re talking about the Holy Spirit — not as a distant idea, but as God’s active presence teaching us, guiding us, filling us with joy, and leading us into real freedom. As we learn to listen in prayer and surrender daily, we discover a life shaped not by pressure, but by power. Join us as we open God’s Word and...

What does it really mean to live as a Christian in today’s world? In this message we launch our series into the book of Thessalonians and explore what it looks like to stand firm in our identity without losing humility, to submit our lives to God’s living Word, and to be people who don’t just read Scripture—but listen, obey, and proclaim it. God’s Word isn’t static or outdated; it’s alive, active,...

As we step into this year with a renewed mission to share our story with those around us, we’re reminded that God is still moving — and every story matters. This week, Felicia shares a powerful testimony of how God met her in moments of heartbreak and vulnerability, walked with her through years of searching, and faithfully revealed His again and again. When the world’s answers leave us performing...

We all say we want rest… but do we really know what we’re asking for? This week, we slow down and listen to Jesus’ invitation in Matthew 11:28–30 — not to escape life, but to find a different way to live within it. In a world shaped by hurry and pressure, we’re exploring what true rest actually is, why it feels so hard to receive, and what it reveals about our hearts. If you’re tired, worn down, o...