Posted on Sep 29, 2018 in Dena's Corner | Tags: Angel Oak, Christian Blog, church, god, Matthew 13:18, Oakwood, Oakwood Church, Philippians 1:6, Saline MI
Have you ever looked at an Oak tree and wondered how it got so big, so vast, so tall? Of course, getting as beautiful and grand as it may be, it surely didn’t start out like that. It takes decades to become that grand Oak.
There’s a tree in John’s Island, South Carolina that I’ve visited many times called “The Angel Oak”. If you’ve ever visited, you can most likely remember the amazement when looking at the tree for the first time. This tree is thought to be one of the oldest living organisms east of the Mississippi River. It is estimated to be 400-500 years old, stands 65 feet tall, its trunk is 28 feet in circumference, and an area of 17,000 square feet is shaded by its branches. It has survived a number of hurricanes, floods and Read more…
Posted on Sep 22, 2018 in Kent's Corner | Tags: 2 Kings 13:15, arrow, Christian Blog, church, Deuteronomy 31:6, Oakwood, Oakwood Church, Saline MI
Elisha told him, “Get a bow and some arrows.” And the king did as he was told. Elisha told him, “Put your hand on the bow,” and Elisha laid his own hands on the king’s hands.
Then he commanded, “Open that eastern window,” and he opened it. Then he said, “Shoot!” So he shot an arrow. Elisha proclaimed, “This is the Lord’s arrow, an arrow of victory over Aram, for you will completely conquer the Arameans at Aphek.”
Then he said, “Now pick up the other arrows and strike them against the ground.” So the king picked them up and Read more…
Posted on Sep 22, 2018 in Rita's Corner | Tags: 2 Corinthians 5:17, Christian Blog, church, Isaiah 40:31, Oakwood, Oakwood Church, Revelation 21:4, Saline MI
I love Fall. It’s my favorite time of year. I enjoy watching as the leaves begin to change color. It’s dark on my way to work in the mornings, but on my way home there are a lot of trees. When the leaves are all changing colors, it looks like the perfect postcard. Fall is my preferred season.
As the new season is getting ready to begin, I am looking forward to beginning a new Bible Study. Renewing current friendships and hopefully starting new ones is my goal as we study Read more…
Posted on Sep 22, 2018 in Dena's Corner | Tags: 1 Peter 5:7, Christian Blog, church, Judges 7:17, Oakwood, Oakwood Church, Proverbs 25:2, Psalms 37:7, Saline MI
Have you ever just awoke one morning and had to ask and wrestle with the “why”??? “Why God? Why is this happening to me?” I’ve surely had to reign myself in at times in my life and remind myself that what I was going through was (and is) God’s plan for my life.
Asking “why” is human nature. When we’re toddlers and first start talking, “Why?” is one of the first questions that we ask about nearly everything. We’re curious, we want to learn.. WHY? In my situation, however, asking “why” is a response to the misconception and lies by the enemy that if I understand the reason behind my pain, then Read more…
Posted on Sep 22, 2018 in Tabetha's Corner | Tags: Christian Blog, church, faith, god, Love, Oakwood, Oakwood Church, Romans 8:28, Saline MI
Dearest Reader,
Welcome back! A pleasure to once again share a moment with you.
I’d like to celebrate the glorious truths about who God is! He is a redeemer and a purifier! He takes the pain and struggle of this life and He washes us white as snow! He is faithful and unmoving. And most importantly, He loves us more than we’ve ever known, felt or considered.
Last week, the question was asked, what does love mean to you?
This week, I would like to discuss with you what love really is, or better yet, WHO love is.
1 John 4:7-9 says this: “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. In this, the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through Him”
Read more…
Posted on Sep 15, 2018 in Dena's Corner | Tags: Broken, Christian Blog, faith, god, hope, Isaiah 30:1, Jeremiah 6:16, Jesus, Love, Oakwood Church, Proverbs 23:26, Psalm 119:165, Psalm 119:97, Saline, Saline MI
I remember when my nephew was younger, he was very much into Lego’s. He’d so badly want a Star Wars ship, a Batman car, or any other various Lego set. The picture on the box looked so cool and he was excited to have this item, but once it was brought home, and the box was opened, it surely didn’t look like the picture on the box! As the little plastic packages inside would come out of the box one by one, there instead of a ship or a car were a bunch of little block pieces in bags – and when I say a bunch, I mean no less than 1000 pieces!! For fun, I researched and found the largest Lego set of all time:
Source: Lego. It’s 7,541 pieces. That’s the number of Lego bricks in the newly updated Ultimate Collectors Series Millennium Falcon set that Lego announced today. August 31, 2017 Read more…
Posted on Sep 15, 2018 in Rita's Corner | Tags: 2 Peter 3:8-9, Christian Blog, Ecclesiastes 3:1, faith, god, hope, Jeremiah 29:11, Jesus, Love, Oakwood Church, Proverbs 16:9, Proverbs 27:1, Saline, Saline MI, timing
In today’s world we live for immediate gratification. We have everything right at our fingertips. We want the next best thing even though what we currently have is perfectly fine. There is always something bigger, better and more powerful. Instant feedback is great, and the internet and social media help keep us connected to important issues when used properly. We don’t have to wait for a response, we simply type in a question (or use our voice control option), and we instantly have answers. We have what we want when we want it, no waiting.
Being impatient tends to get us in trouble. We make bad decisions that we regret later. We make mistakes Read more…
Posted on Sep 15, 2018 in Kent's Corner | Tags: 1 Corinthians 13:4-7, Christian Blog, faith, god, hope, Jesus, Love, Oakwood Church, Romans 12:9, Saline, Saline MI
Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Romans 12:9
Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance. 1 Corinthians 13:4-7
Love truly does overcome everything. It is not something that has not just been words. It is something God has proven repeatedly in my life. The story below is an example of how God moves in man’s heart and soul even against what worldly belief he has.
There was a squash instructor (the sport, not the vegetable :)) at one of Boston’s most exclusive and prestigious schools. He did not understand much about being prejudice let alone his own prejudices. God decided it was time that he confront it head on. One year, a freshman started at his school as the Read more…
Posted on Sep 15, 2018 in Tabetha's Corner | Tags: 1 Corinthians 13:4, 1 Corinthians 13:5, Christian Blog, faith, god, hope, Jesus, Love, Oakwood Church, Saline, Saline MI
Dearest Reader:
There are so many words I want to share with you… so much I want to say. Whenever a new adventure is started, sometimes it’s unclear where the first steps should be taken. So perhaps, my friends, we can grow and walk together.
Let me preface our journey with this: I pray that in these blogs you hear my heart. I pray the words touch a piece of your soul that hasn’t been reached in quite some time. I pray that you are moved to conversation and to ask questions or just simply to share a piece of yourself.
I’ve found that God uses vulnerability and transparency to bring growth and understanding that simply can not be discovered in any other way. So without further ado, allow me to tell you the beginning of my story.
For the majority of my life, I have lived without the heart knowledge of how much God loves me. I may have known this truth in my mind but it never truly settled into my heart. I’ve witnessed many experience the same struggle. And by no means can I come before you today and claim to understand the wonders and depths of His love, but I Read more…
