The Oaks Fellowship

THE WORDS OF CHRIST

Johnny Bragg — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 21:16:44 +0000

Too many believers get disctracted by the new, the flashy, the “fresh word from God.” While I love receiving fresh manna from the Lord, I love Bible basics more. On a recent Wednesday evening at The Oaks, we took time to revisit the words of Christ. His words. His teachings. We came away challenged and refreshed. Why? The words of Christ are alive, and speak to us right where we are. But it goes beyond that. The words of Christ are also difficult, going so against the world we live in…even against our own thoughts and desires. Let me give you three principles from the Sermon on the Mount, Matthew 5-7.

1. Love your enemies. This may be the most difficult of His teachings. Loving those we see as enemies goes against our nature, but is exactly what Christ instructs us to do. To pray for those who persecute us. To turn the other cheeck. And to the one who steals from us, we are to offer them our coat.

2. Do not worry. We are to be confident that God will provide for us. And just as He watches over the sparrows, he will meet our needs. Yet we all find ourselves stressed over tomorrow, what will happen, and how we will make it. Christ says he will never leave us. Never.

3. Do not store up. Our treasure is to be in Heaven. Spiritual savings. While the world around us builds bigger barns, bigger homes to store more posessions, we are to live lives of generosity and sacrifice.

I encourage you to look through the Sermon on the Mount. You will find yourself deeply challenged. His words will speak to you, guide you, convict you, and leave you lifted.

CERTAINTY IN AN UNCERTAIN WORLD

Johnny Bragg — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 13:30:33 +0000

We live in shifting, changing, uncertain world. Wars. Earthquakes. The economy. TV gives us happy, healthy, beautiful people who have life figured out. Yet each of us know what it is like to live real life, with struggles, valleys, and bills. We know what it is like to live with a big question mark looming over our future, not sure about our money, health, or safety. And if we are honest we can feel ourselves waver in our Christianity. I know God loves me, but does he care about where I am? Is God real? Does he hear me when I cry out? And sometimes I just don’t feel God. These uncertainties cause anxiety, not being sure of what is to come. Proverbs 12:25 says that anxiety weighs a heart down. And yet the Lord wants us to cast our cares on Him (1 Peter 5:7), and to be sure and CERTAIN of what is to come. Let me give you three encouragements:

1. Jesus is sure. He is your foundation. The prophet Isaiah (28:16) received a message from the Lord: “See, I lay a stone in Zion, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone for a sure foundation; the one who relies on it will never be stricken with panic.” Keeping our feet firmly planted on the rock of Christ is the ONLY surety we will ever have.

2. Cast your cares on the Lord. Psalm 55:22 says when we cast our cares on the Lord, he will sustain us. Now, too many Christians believe when we face a situation…that casting our cares on the Lord and doing nothing is the same thing. It isn’t. Do ALL YOU CAN in any situation. Work in the natural. Pray. Believe. Give it to God. And THEN, stop worrying about it. Cast your cares, not your responsibility.

3. The Lord’s path for you is solid. You have a future and a hope in Christ, and He wants you to be sure of your future, both where you are going AND how you are going to get there. Our lives are supposed to get better over time. Proverbs 4:18 says our paths are like the morning sun, shining a little brighter each moment until full daylight. True, we don’t know what is way out there, but we do know for certain that He has His BEST in store for us.

I encourage you to be encouraged this day. God is in control and His right hand is strong enough to sustain you. For more on certainty, see Matthew 6:25-34.

I LOVE TEENAGERS

Johnny Bragg — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 16:25:28 +0000

Like many pastors, my roots are in youth ministry. One of my first official jobs in church was leading a junior-high boys ministry. That followed years of pizza, Bible studies, road trips, fundraisers, and the general silliness that comes with working with young people. This year I have jumped back into working with teens at The Oaks, and am LOVING it! I’ve been thinking about why I love teens…why I always come away from a youth meeting lifted…and want to encourage YOU in your walk. Let me share with you three qualities is see in today’s teen:

1. Teens are hungry for God. Although the way they SHOW their hunger is different from adults (refreshingly different!), they are hungry nonetheless. Young people genuinely want to know God, to know who He is, and how He interacts with us as His kids. I told a story last night from my testimony. The group got remarkably quiet, and stared at me. First time I have seen them really soak up some truths about God. Oh, to be hungry for God like that once again!

2. Teens know a phony when they see it. In an instant they can dissect whether an individual is genuine or not. Somewhere along the way, adults lose this ability and become easily fooled. We can be “spiritual” by wearing the right clothes on Sunday and speaking with “brothers” and “thees, thous, and withersoevers.” I’ve been there. I’ve played the Sunday game. Working with our youth again has challenged me to NEVER stand in front of them and go through the motions. It feels good to be challenged to be authentic. Authenticity….now there’s a word for 2011!

3. Teens love to laugh. They enjoy fellowship and the joy (JOY!) of being part of a church family. True, their social-ness can get out of hand. But boy, oh boy, am I encouraged to hear laughter in a church building. Paul said that the Kingdom of God is about “righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.” (Romans 14:17). Too often we focus on the right-living (praise God!) and peace…while forgetting that living as a Christian is a life of joy.

I encourage you to work today to become more childlike (Matthew 18:3) in your walk. Be willing to listen to your Father, to enjoy your life as His kid, and to be genuine in your hunger for the Lord!

THRIVING RIGHT WHERE YOU ARE PLANTED

Johnny Bragg — Thu, 03 Feb 2011 20:40:05 +0000

Too many believers are unhappy in life. Dissatisfied with jobs, money, and their current situation. But this is opposite to what the Lord wants for our lives. God desires that his children be fully satisfied in life, thriving today. THRIVING! Let me give you three encouragements:

1. You are designed to thrive where you are planted. Psalm 1:3 says our lives are to be like trees planted beside streams of living water, which bear fruit and never wither. The Psalmist wrote that whatever we do (whatever!) shall prosper. God wants you to thrive. Today. Right where you are planted.

2. You are designed to be content in any situation. In Philippians 3, the Apostle Paul wrote he had learned a secret to being content in any situation. Whether in plenty or little…he was content. Our lives should be the same, regardless of our current situation. Notice Paul said he learned to be content. It may not come easily, but over time we can adjust our hearts and attitudes to align with the Word.

3. You are designed to minister in your community. In Acts 1, Jesus asked the apostles to wait for the Holy Spirit to be poured out…following the day of Pentecost, they would be witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, and Samaria. They were first to minister right where they were, Jerusalem. Too often we limit outreach to foreign soil. We are supposed to shine the light of Christ everywhere around us. Our lives today become much more satisfied and fulfilled when we are pouring out the love of Jesus to others.

Are you in a place where you feel like you are not thriving? I encourage you to get yourself planted by the stream of life, learn the secret to being content, and minister to someone else’s needs. Today!

GODS CHARACTER

Johnny Bragg — Fri, 14 Jan 2011 19:13:59 +0000

As Christians we must know God. To know his ways, his character, his word…and how he interacts with us as children. Too many are confused with the Lord, keeping him in the realm of the unknown. We’ve been taught that God is a mystery, that we’ll never really know him. And this just isn’t so. While God is huge and we are dust, we CAN know him and his character. Let me give you three encouragements.

1. It is God’s character to make himself known. He reveals himself to his kids. In Genesis we see the Lord walking with Adam in the cool of the evening. Talking and being together. God is the same yesterday, today, and forever. His character is still to walk with you during the quiet parts of your day, talking and being together. This is why our prayer lives are so important, that we can talk to the Lord.

2. It is God’s character to have a plan for you. You are not floating through life alone. His heart for you is to plan your days. It was planned for Gideon to drive out the Mideonites, for Peter to walk on water, and for Paul to carry the Gospel to the gentiles. But there is a catch. We can’t go through life doing whatever we want whenever we feel like it. We have to live within the boundaries of his Word. Too often I have found myself stepping off the straight and narrow path (plan!) for my life, and going about my own way. We should run back to the Lord, to allow his plan to unfold in our lives. See Psalm 139:13-16.

3. It is God’s character to love you at your worst. Too many Christians run away from God, especially when we blow it. We don’t believe that he is a fixer, a mender, a healer. Our culture has taught us that God is an ogre in the sky waiting to slay us when we mess up. Here’s some inside info: You’ll NEVER have it together, never be perfect. So let’s draw near to him, even when we find ourselves in sin. To see more on God’s character to love you at your worst, check out how the Lord deals with David in 2 Samuel 12.

My encouragement for you today is simple: You CAN know God and his character.

ARMLOADS OF BLESSING

Johnny Bragg — Sat, 01 Jan 2011 20:05:13 +0000

As we begin a new year today, I want to share with you my prayer for our church family this year, not just for The Oaks as a body, but for YOU in your home, life, and family. We all had ups and downs, struggles and victories throughout 2010…but my prayer is for this to be THE YEAR for your life. The Message paraphrase of Psalm 126:6 says, “And now, God, do it again—bring rains to our drought-stricken lives. So those who planted their crops in despair will shout hurrahs at the harvest, so those who went off with heavy hearts will come home laughing, with armloads of blessing.” Yes! I want that for our lives this year, shouting at the harvest, coming home laughing, with armloads of blessing.

The enemy is a thief. He steals everything from you he can. My prayer this year is that 2011 will be a year of RETURN to your life. Some of you have lost your song. Lost your dream. Lost your ability to shout. I pray the Lord returns your song back to your life, that your heavy heart will be lifted, that armloads of blessing will find its way to your life, and that you will LAUGH AGAIN! You have good days ahead!

GOOD NEWS OF GREAT JOY

Johnny Bragg — Tue, 21 Dec 2010 18:44:39 +0000

Have you ever received good news? Not just spotting the up-close parking spot or finding back-to-back episodes of your favorite show, but life-changing good news. News that is received with big joy, that you know will change everything from that point on. I remember the day my wife said she felt kind of “funny.” Yep, nearly a year later we had our son. Good news! Everything changed from that point forward. During this season as we celebrate the birth of our King, I am reminded of the angel from Luke 2, who appeared to the shepherds “staying out in the field and keeping watch.” The angel proclaimed, “I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people.” With the birth of Jesus, everything changed. The Savior came, and it was (and is!) great joy for everyone. Let me give you five encouragements from this passage.

1. Christ is your good news. He was, is, and will forever be good news in your life. What a great joy we have to know Jesus.

2. Christ is not a feeling. So much is made about the “spirit of Christmas,” a fuzzy feeling we get when Nat King Cole croons, when our tree twinkles, and when we shop shop shop. And while I love all the fun stuff we do (and eat!) during December, we cannot serve Jesus by how we feel. Galatians 3:11 encourages us that “the righteous will live by faith.” We serve our risen Savior because he is our King, not because of how we feel.

3. Stay in your field. The shepherds met the glory of God as they went about their business, being faithful to their flock rather than heading into town (remember Bethlehem was packed with travelers that night, lots going on). Whatever you feel the Lord has given you to do, do it faithfully. Ecclesiastes 9:10, “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might.”

4. Wait for your suddenly. As you go about your Christian walk and calling, the Lord at times will suddenly appear. And while it may not be as dramatic as singing angels, the Holy Spirit will move in your life. It may be a nudge to serve Him more, a bit of wisdom for an upcoming decision, or a moment of release from something that has hindered you. See Acts 12 for another moment of suddenly.

5. Receive His joy. The Kingdom is about Joy in the Lord. This Christmas season I encourage you to open the doors of your heart and received the King. It will be a moment that changes you forever, good news of great joy!

TODAY MATTERS

Johnny Bragg — Fri, 10 Dec 2010 16:20:11 +0000

In His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said, “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” Matthew 6:34. Too much of our lives are focused on the days ahead. While saving and planning ahead are both good, worrying about what is around the corner is not. We stress and strain over the unknown, and it is no way to live. The Lord wants us to focus on today, to be mindful of our hearts, our words, and our actions. What we do today matters! Let me give you three encouragements.

1. Appreciate what you have. Our giving of thanks cannot end in November. We should be people who see the Lord’s hand in our lives. True prosperity is knowing you are blessed. The Apostle Paul wrote, “For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that.” 1 Timothy 6:7-8. What contrast the word “content” is with our culture. Every infomercial, commercial, and advertisement strives to make you unhappy with your current vacuum turn radius, toilet paper plushness, kitchen knife sharpness, car shininess, or insurance rate. Let’s be content. Today!

2. Recognize where you are. The Lord moves in seasons. Our lives roll by as chapters. Clearly knowing what season we are in allows a mom to focus on her children, a student to study diligently, and a pastor to work on Sunday’s message . Your today changes when you see yourself in chapters and seasons. For more, check out Daniel chapter 2.

3. Reconcile your wants. Our desires drive our actions. What we want shapes the course of today…what we do, think, and say. Galatians 5:7, “For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want.” We must desire the things above, turning from the carnal. I encourage you to consider your wants. If you look in the mirror and your desires need to be shifted, then repent, turn, and move on.

Today, even right this moment, be challenged to focus on today. To worship God today. To love your family today. To appreciate what He has done in your life. To be thankful. And to desire the things above. Today matters!

THE PLACE YOU NEED TO BE

Johnny Bragg — Fri, 03 Dec 2010 21:17:37 +0000

What place are you in right now? Not your locale, but where is your life? Your family? Your fulfillment, contentment, and peace? Your ministry? We all had ups and downs in 2010, but I believe we all want 2011 to be different. Better. I want to encourage you to allow the Lord to get you to the place you need to be. A place of spiritual health, physical health, joy in the work of your hands, financial stability, and simply enjoying life.

In 1 Kings 19, we see an Israel that had turned from the Lord to the worship of false gods. They were in a mess politically and spiritually. The one prophet of the Lord, Elijah, had no successor, was under death threats from the queen, and had asked the Lord to kill him. Not a good place to be! Suddenly, an angel of the Lord came and spoke to Elijah…mountains tore apart, rocks shattered, and the Earth shook. After the dust settled, a gentle whisper came to Elijah. The Lord quietly showed up and spoke to Elijah and gave him direction, hope, and a future…moving both he and Israel to the place they needed to be.

I pray the same for you. That you would listen to the gentle whisper of the Holy Spirit, allowing him to move you to where you need to be in the coming year. Let me give you three encouragements in allowing the Lord to move in your life:

1. Be willing to obey. When you obey, you set yourself up for good things. Obey the basic commandments of the Lord we see in the Word. And be willing to obey specific things you feel the Lord speak to you.

2. Be in the Lord’s presence. Moments you spend in prayer and worship can change you, fix your situation, and fix you (yeah, we all need a little fixin’!).

3. Do your part. The Lord WANTS to move you to a better place, but he won’t do it for you. Allow Him to add his super to your natural. You do the Earthly stuff, and allow him to do the supernatural. God will always allow you to have a part to play in your miracle. What’s your next step in the natural?

I am believing this will be your best year yet! Allow the Lord to move in you and through you, and you’ll see yourself move into the place you need to be.

JESUS WAS NOT…

Johnny Bragg — Fri, 19 Nov 2010 20:48:50 +0000

As we have been working through our series on Jesus, His Life and Ministry, we have covered much of what is…but today I want to challenge you with what Jesus was not. The Apostle Paul wrote that we are to be imitators of Christ. We can imitate Christ by what he was not, what he didn’t do, what he was not about. Let me give you five encouragements:

1. Jesus was not shallow. He spoke with substance and authority. He used words that matter, that challenge, that have depth.

2. Jesus was not petty. He chose to focus on what was critical, and seemed to pass over the petty comments of the Jews who followed him only to accuse.

3. Jesus was not impatient. He stood silent at his own trial. He allowed the kids to come to him. He cooked breakfast for Peter. When I see the story of Jesus in the Gospels, I see patience regardless of circumstance.

4. Jesus was not greedy. We live in an age where preachers demand your best, your finest, your first-fruits…that they may live in luxury. Jesus said of himself, that he did not even have a place to lay his head. See Matthew 8. Jesus was a giver, not a taker. Still is.

5. Jesus was not a hippie. Hollywood has convinced us that he was a robe-wearing, campfire-sitting, kumbaya guy. His mission was not one of peace, but of division. See Matthew 10. When he said the only (ONLY!) way to the Father is through him, he drew a line in the sand of time…requiring each of us to decide to follow or not, to believe or doubt. Quite the opposite picture of how the world paints Christ.