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Things I know for sure...
On September 19, 2010, Oak Hills Church Senior Pastor Rod Carlson, shared a message deep in his heart. It was a message of vision, hope and purpose to lead this church in to the future.
He shared his and his wife Melody's experieneces from over 30 years in ministry and helped define what really matters in the end. If you were able to attend, you were witness to a very special morning for Oak HIlls church and we hope that you carry the vision forward and if you could not make it that day you will find a breif overview of Pastor Rod's message here as well as a recording of the morning.
Take a few minutes to find out what we know for sure as a church and come back from time to time to renew the vision in your heart.
Listen to the message online here.
Message Notes
Things I Know For Sure...
September 19, 2010
Who knows anything for sure?
It’s more than just death and taxes
The result of an opening entry in a journal
First Sunday of our 20th year
Is it any different from Lifetime Fitness?
What’s a pastor to do?
What I know for sure about the church (big C)
-The church is God’s only plan for showing the world who Jesus is
Things I know for sure about OHC (small c)
1. God called Melody and I to start a new church in Eagan, Minnesota 20 years ago.
2. We were passionate about the way the church should be started and it’s continuing vision
a. A worship service understandable to unbelievers and non-churchgoers while still edifying and challenging to followers of Jesus.
b. Disciple followers of Jesus to be fully devoted (Acts 5:42)
c. Release Christians from church and church people being their only social calendar so they can be the salt of the earth.
d. Discourage a Christian subculture where non-Christians feel condemned, judged, or not good enough to join.
e. Raise our children to be concerned about lost and hurting people and break the cycle of “it’s all about me consumer Christianity”
f. Teach Christ followers to be led by the Holy Spirit and expect the miraculous activity of God to happen in their lives on a daily basis.
3. I have learned many things.
a. Reaching truly unchurched people is very difficult but when people accept Christ it’s wonderful to watch them change and grow.
b. While most Christians seem to prefer consumer Christianity, called Christians are a blast to be with and serve with.
c. Building authentic and caring relationships with unchurched people is one of the biggest challenges for long time followers of Jesus but it’s also one of the most personally rewarding.
d. Called Christians know that committing to a local church is about serving and growing not just attending and consuming.
e. OHC is not corporate it’s local.
f. OHC is more about process with significant defining moments, than it is about all at once.
So what is my goal today?
a. I never knew that.
b. It’s so nice to be reminded.
c. I really agree with that.
d. So that’s why we do that.
e. I belong in another church
f. I want to help make that happen.
If you want to help make that happen here at OHC then…
1. Make a serious personal commitment to follow Jesus Christ
-Go public and be baptized (big C)
-Read your bible and pray
-Live and love like Jesus
2. Make a serious commitment to understand the importance of the local church and authentically and accountably participating in the life of this local church (small c)
-Membership
-Small Group
-Serving/giving
-Regular worship (the Lord’s supper, the teaching to the body, the care of and accountability to each other, the joy of worshiping together)
-Be led by the Holy Spirit and expect the miraculous to happen in your daily life
-Along with close accountable relationships with other Christians have a wide variety of friendships with people of different faiths and cultures so they have a chance to know what Jesus is like because they know you.
Let’s turn our history into his story for us as we begin our 20th year of ministry.
(Philippians 1:6)
