oasisCHURCH

I just added a couple

I just added a couple of download links on the right (look under "teachings" and "songs"). The teaching is from this past Sunday, the second half of two parts from Ephesians 4. Under songs I have uploaded a copy of the song "You Are So Good To Me" by Waterdeep. This is the first song the Worship Guitar 101 class is learning to play. That went very well last night, by the way. I am excited about the fruit that will be borne from that class.

To make it easier, you can also get the downloads here:
Ephesians 4 (Part 2) "Starting A Ministry"
You Are So Good To Me

I sometimes wonder how involved

I sometimes wonder how involved God is with our machines. Most of us have, at one time or another, laid hands on the dashboard of our vehicle and prayed, "In the name of Jesus, please start." Or sat in front of the computer, interceding on Microsoft's behalf. Does God really manifest Himself in our machinery? I wondered that this morning as I drove down the highway in my Isuzu Rodeo. With 189,000+ miles, the fan belt squeeling away, and pistons knocking and pecking, I thought... "Lord, don't know if you're in the business of preventative maintenance on vehicles, but I'll ask anyway. We need to be able to get several thousand more miles on this thing. Let our Rodeo be a testimony of Your grace (and Your mechanical ability)."

A couple months ago Jeri (our keyboardist) flipped the power switch on the Alesis keyboard we use in our worship gathering and nothing happened. It wouldn't come on. We tried a number of different power cables, a few different outlets that all had other things powered up already. She even took it home and messed with it for several days. But nothing. Our only option was to send it miles away to a technician in another city... paying for shipping, and who knows ho much for the repair. So just before Jeri was about to pack it up and send it she prayed... "God, You can make this thing work if You wanted to." Her husband, Dorsel prayed as well. They turned it on, just like they had many times before... and this time it powered up. And shes used it this past Sunday. It's had no problems since.

Weird stuff. I always thought praying for material things like that was a little wacky. But maybe God does care about stuff like that. I mean, 95% of the reason I need my car is for the work of the ministry He has called me to do. Jeri was serving Him through making music with the keyboard. So maybe the grace He gives is not for a keyboard or a car... but for His children use those things to serve Him.

Anyway... thank you Father.

There is lots of Holy

There is lots of Holy Spirit activity going on right now. He is speaking to people about their gifts, stirring their passion for ministry, and putting their feet into motion.

Regarding Meigs Oasis...
Tonight there will be a conversation with several people on the hearts of whom God has laid plans for youth ministry. They are all very excited about the possibilities that are ahead. I know that as a result there will be a youth house church born soon. It is in the womb... and pushing!!!

Regarding Athens Oasis...
First let me say this, and this may take a while. Some people have asked me about the Oasis church plant in wonderment of how it is taking place in two locations. For a while that question was difficult to answer because I attempted to explain it as ONE fellowship but in two locations… Athens and Meigs. But recently we have made a definite separation (for lack of a better word) between the two fellowships, and are even regarding them as two different church plants (Oasis Athens, and Oasis Meigs). Yes, some of the people still overlap and fellowship with both groups… one of those being myself (and April, Brock, and Kaylee). And because of our apostolic nature and gifting we most likely will always fellowship with both groups. But there is definitely a separate vision for ministry being laid out for both locations called Oasis.

Is this what I had planned, or envisioned two years ago? Nope. Not even close. In fact, I suspect that if things had happened exactly as I had envisioned two years ago then there would not be an Oasis in Meigs county at all… only Athens (with maybe a few people from Meigs driving to Athens to worship with Oasis). Perhaps God re-arranged these plans of ours. OR… perhaps God’s plans got re-arranged by the circumstances the enemy threw at us, and as a result He worked things out for the good of those who love Him. Either way, He is Sovereign.

So now, two years later, it feels like Oasis Athens is getting a fresh, new start… while at the same time foundation is being laid and ministry is beginning to thrive in Oasis Meigs. Sometimes I get frightened to think of the potential responsibility that is on my shoulders to work with two church plants (actually three, as I am on a once a month basis going to Waverly to encourage brothers and sisters of Lotus Christian Fellowship, a new church plant). But I know that “He” who began a good work in me will be faithful to carry it on to completion. The “He” is not me. HE is the one who gave me the gifts as “he apportioned”… as HE saw fit. And therefore I know the responsibility is not on me, but on Him. My responsibility is to listen to Him and to be faithful and obedient to Him.

So what exactly is happening in Oasis Athens? Currently we (April, Amy and I) are opening our home to have prayer, Bible study and dinner/fellowship. We have also been seeking the Lord very specifically regarding an avenue to begin ministering to the University. Yesterday I received a word of prophecy from someone who lives miles away from here. As this individual was doing housework the Lord spoke a word for the Oasis church plant in Athens… “Go to the University.” It was on the campus of Ohio University that Lord first ignited the passion in our hearts for southeast Ohio. And it’s to the campus He is taking us now, reminding us that it was “He Who began this good work….”

I have uploaded a couple

I have uploaded a couple of new files. One is the audio (mp3) for the teaching this morning. Get it here.

The other is the notes for this teaching. They are in a printable format. Get them here.

Tomorrow morning a team of

Tomorrow morning a team of people will meet in Middleport to begin a relationship of accountability in leadership for Oasis Christian Fellowship (Meigs). Since the beginning of Oasis life in Meigs County the Holy Spirit has called people to action, He has given them dreams and ideas, and He has equipped them with gifts to fulfill those dreams and ideas. All of these people who will meet together have been instrumental in the building of a fellowship of believers in Meigs County, called "Oasis." They all have unique gifts, and have been using those gifts even before this appointed time of meeting for leadership development.

One of the purposes of the group is to act as an "advisory team" in decision making and planning. They will serve as an appropriate first channel for me, personally, to share ideas and vision God gives me... and they will join me in praying and in tweaking those ideas before implementing them to the Oasis as a whole. And also, they will each bring ideas and vision to the table for discussion and prayer. My desire for this group and for these meetings is that we would have a team of people where everything regarding "Oasis Christian Fellowship of Meigs" can be brought out in open communication, transparency, and intercession. And most importantly, their task will be to listen to discern where the Holy Spirit leads.

Please pray for these people... that God would increase their ability to hear His voice as they gather Saturday on behalf of Oasis Meigs. Beside their name I have included areas of giftedness that I have perceived in them... the very things that led me to invite them into this relationship (parallel these gifts with Ephesians 4:11-13.

Des Jeffers - prophet; pastor-teacher; musician; giver
Bill Lawless - worker/servant; kindness; task-oriented
Rochelle Lawless - administration; children's ministry
Mike Stewart - evangelist; servant; friend; gatherer
Sharon Stewart - teacher; artist; creativity
Amy Perrin - prophet; music; creativity; friend
Jared Stewart - evangelist; music; children's ministry; gatherer
Stefani (Pickens) Stewart - teacher; children's ministry

[The following will be involved with Oasis Meigs as well as with Oasis Athens]
Amy Hoffman - prophet; intercession; discernment
April Stewart - teacher; administration; children
Chris Stewart - apostolic gift; teaching; administration

My daughter, Kaylee... "I don't

My daughter, Kaylee...

"I don't need no one to tell me about heaven
I look at my daughter and I believe
I don't need no proof when it comes to God and truth
I can see the sun set and I perceive"

(lyrics by Live)

Here's something cool. I started

Here's something cool. I started a "fotopages" site that I will set a link to in the righthand column. I will let you know whenever I add some photos. My first entries are from the Kids Musical from this weekend. They were sent to me by Cathy Erwin.

Check them out.

Before I move on to

Before I move on to this week’s book, there is one more quote from last week’s book that I wanted to toss out here in blog-land.

“The Church thrived for a thousand years like a football team that always played with “home field advantage.” Indeed, the Church defined the game, announced the rules, briefed the referees, and always had the crowd behind them, and the wind as well. All of that has changed. We occasionally play on a neutral field, and usually on the opponents field – if we play at all. Unfortunately, most churches still sit back and wait for people to come play on the church’s field.” (Hunter 108)

What a great analogy. Maybe I think so just because I love football, and it makes so much sense to me. But his point is so true. Church used to be the center of attention… the one thing in the center that everything else revolved around. These days in which we are living it (Church) now appears to just be one of the many things that are revolving around. Around what? I’m not sure there is anything in the center really… except uncertainty.

The reason I think an analogy such as this one is so important for us to understand is because it can rescue us from making undue assumptions. Many of us assume people feel a certain way toward the church… whether negative, positive, hostile, or whatever. But the fact may be that a great number of people are not thinking negatively toward the church, nor have hostility… but perhaps they are just not thinking about it at all. It doesn’t cross their mind. And until they come face to face with the presence of God… there is no reason for it to cross their mind. We are no longer living in a time where people feel a certain obligation to the church… just for church’s sake. If they are going to be “obligated” (I don’t like that word here… but see what I am saying), then something must happen inside of them first. They must recognize that they are a part of the community. I think it is a very exciting change. I mean think about it… why be obligated to something that you have no commitment to, or heart for, or passion to serve with???

I will stop with the random thoughts and allow you to comment if you wish.

As promised... I have uploaded

As promised... I have uploaded the MP3 of the entire ceremony from Saturday afternoon, the wedding of Jared and Stefani. It can be downloaded by clicking here.

Well, the weekend is over…

Well, the weekend is over… and what a weekend it was! We had a house full of old friends, a wedding, and an incredible day of worship.

It was so nice to visit with some of my best friends in the world… Jamie and Wendy Lankford, Matt and Danita McNeil, and Josh Mehrle… and of course I can’t leave out Mason, Isaac, and Caleb (Jamie and Wendy’s three sons), Austin and Ayden (Matt and Danita’s sons). Brock and Kaylee were in “play heaven” with all of those kids here… all within a year or two of each other. It was definitely a loud and energetic weekend. :)

The wedding on Saturday was beautiful. Jared and Stefani did a fantastic job, as well as everyone involved. I think the Lord has given me a renewed perspective on weddings as the result of the past week… praying, studying and preparing. In the next couple of days I will upload the MP3 of the wedding ceremony message.

Yesterday’s worship gathering in Middleport was really cool. People just kept coming in. We have been used to just setting up between 25 and 30 chairs for our gathering, but yesterday as the time grew nearer to 10:00 we had to nearly double that amount of chairs. What I love about that is this… it isn’t a surprise me for two reasons. (1) It is the Lord Who began the work, and we know He is faithful to carry it on… the Holy Spirit is pursuing people and He is drawing them to Himself. His presence has been very obvious in our worship gatherings, so it is no surprise to me that He would draw them to Himself in those arenas. (2) Oasis Meigs people are getting very good at recognizing those people of whom God is in pursuit. When you are led by His Spirit on a daily basis, conversations will open with people. When you invite them to participate in the kingdom, their response will be one of two… if they are being drawn by God they will come, if they are not yet being drawn by God they will most likely not come. It is that simple. Jesus does the drawing. We just play the “middle-man”. And I have heard stories from several people in the Meigs Oasis that is evidence God is using them as the “middle-man”. Yesterday was even further evidence.

Another reason yesterday’s worship gathering was a great experience is because the Oasis kids gave us a reason to celebrate and enjoy God’s presence as they sang songs of Thanks to Him for giving us freedom to worship in the United States. It was the same program they performed for the men of the American Legion Post 128… the same men who have allowed us to use their building for over a year now in Middleport. In fact, they were so blessed by the expression of our thanks that they wanted to return the blessing to us. They did so by giving us the building “rent-free” for the remainder of the year.

What an incredible weekend!