Oak Pointe Church • Novi

A Thrill of Hope

God With Us: Early Letters, Week 6 1 & 2 Thessalonians: The 2nd Coming of Christ (1 Thess. 4, 5 & 2 Thessalonians) From the letters to the Thessalonians we understand that teaching about the 2nd coming of Jesus was central to Paul’s ministry, even at the earliest stages with converts. It was not a subject reserved for the mature believers; it was part of ‘basic discipleship’. This message is part of our God With Us series where Pastor Bob walks us through the entire Bible.

God With Us: Early Letters, Week 5 1 Thessalonians: Paul Encourages a Young Church (1 Thessalonians 1-3) After speaking in the Jewish synagogue for three weeks in the city of Thessalonica, many became believers including Jews, Gentiles, and some leading women from the city – a church was born! And there were qualities about this group that captured Paul’s heart, particularly their willingness to suffer affliction because of their commitment to Christ. This message is part of our God With Us series where Pastor Bob walks us through the entire Bible.

Traditions Are traditions good? Are they bad? They certainly can be taken to extremes either way. However, we can learn how to bring purpose to our traditions by taking a few lessons from Jesus in Matthew 15. Speaker: Joe Seestadt, Pastor in Residence

God With Us: Early Letters, Week 4James: Trials, the Tongue & Treasures (James 3-5) James focuses on the fruit of saving faith – changed character, good works, compassion, charity, speech, etc. He was not interested in people claiming that they had faith; he wanted to see the evidence of living faith in everyday conduct. This message is part of our God With Us series where Pastor Bob walks us through the entire Bible.

God With Us: Early Letters, Week 3 James: Works are the Fruit of Faith (James 1–2) This letter, written by the half-brother of Jesus, is among the earliest in the New Testament, and was addressed to Christian Jews who had been scattered throughout the Roman Empire. James, as the leader of the Jewish-Christian community, felt the responsibility to write a general pastoral letter giving guidance in how to live out the faith in a world that was hostile to Christians, and encouraging steadfastness in the face of trials. This message is part of our God With Us series where Pastor Bob walks us through the entire Bible.

God With Us: Early Letters, Week 2 Galatians: Walking in the Spirit (Galatians 5–6) The second major Christian doctrine defended in the Book of Galatians is the doctrine of sanctification by the power of the Spirit. Sanctification (“cleansing”) is the process by which we are made more and more like Jesus Christ. Paul will argue that sanctification is a work of the Spirit Who dwells within us, and is not accomplished by obedience to a set of rules. This message is part of our God With Us series where Pastor Bob walks us through the entire Bible.

God With Us: Early Letters, Week 1 Galatians: In Defense of the Gospel of Grace (Galatians 1–4) Paul and Barnabas traveled through the Galatian region on their 1st missionary trip, planting churches in various cities (Acts 13, 14). After proclaiming the gospel, they strongly urged the new believers “to continue in the grace of God” (Acts 13:43). Yet, for these new believers, holding on to their freedom in Christ would not be so easy. This message is part of our God With Us series where Pastor Bob walks us through the entire Bible.

The Eight, Week 8: Multiply Spiritual multiplication is intentionally pouring your life into those who will pour their lives into others. We do this by investing relationally, staying Jesus-focused, and giving away authority. Speaker: Adam Schultz, Sozo Young Adult Ministry Pastor

The Eight, Week 7: Go Who is in my top three? God made you to get in the game, going to people who need the good news of Jesus Christ. A basic model to follow is prayer, care, share. Joe Seestadt, Pastor in Residence

The Eight, Week 6: Give Where am I serving and giving for the work of God’s kingdom? At Oak Pointe, we want to build bridges of love strong enough to bear the weight of the Gospel. Speaker: Kurt Alber, Cody Partnership Pastor

The Eight, Week 5: Connect Do I have friends with whom I can speak honestly about my struggles? About my faith? Do I have friends that I could call at 2am, who would be there? Disciples who connect form deep, Christ-centered relationships that reflect the “one another” commands of Scripture. Speaker: Mark Kaminski, Canton Campus Pastor

The Eight, Week 4: Restore How do you face things that hold you down? You’ve got to find the thing beneath the thing. Restoration begins and ends with the Holy Spirit, and is an invitation to vulnerability. That’s why restoration is best done in community. Speaker: Adam Mashni, 707 High School Ministry Pastor

The Eight, Week 3: Pray Our relationship with God involves a two-way conversation. God speaks to us as we listen to His Word and His Spirit. The way God wants us to speak back to Him is through prayer. Prayer is an ongoing conversation with God about anything and everything. Speaker: Rick Barry, The Rock Middle School Ministry Pastor

The Eight, Week 2: Listen There are many ways that we can listen to God. He reveals Himself to us through creation, conscience, Christ, and community. But the primary way that we listen to God is through the canon—the Word of God. Speaker: Mark Kaminski, Canton Campus Pastor