Oasis Christian Fellowship : bethechurch

BeTheChurch.com Long Overdue Updates

Oasis and distant friends and family, I realize that our website has been nearly void of any new content during the past several months, but I am pleased to tell you that one important section has recently been updated. For those of you who used to receive our podcasts, your aggregator probably has shut off our link due to inactivity. But turn it back on. When you do, you will notice about 30 newly uploaded sermons, dating as far back as July 2007.

We apologize for the delay. After many months those Sunday gathering recordings have all been edited and made ready for the internet. We are now caught up (to last Sunday), and will be updating the Oasis Media page on a weekly basis again.

I know that many of you have received much encouragement from the media portion of the site, as you enjoy downloading to listen to a sermon that you missed or simply to listen again throughout the week. Again, we apologize for not keeping up with the new content.

Sermon Audio Is Back

Master sound tech Mike Kennedy has tremendously cleared up our audio recording for our Sunday gatherings, and we're back in business. Today's message from Romans chapter 9 titled God's Sovereign Choice, Part 1 is up on the media page, so if you receive our podcast you should already have it. Or you can just download it here.

Here are the notes for the teaching in MS Word format.

Oasis Fall Party 2005

What a great time it was last night. Great atmosphere. Incredible food!!! I'm not kidding you. If there is one thing the Oasis family is gifted in it's preparing food. Wow, was there some good stuff there last night!

Very special thanks to: Jim & Julie for hosting the party, Jim's dad (Ed) for driving the hay-wagon (now he's our official Halloween and Christmas helper... shhh), Pam for taking all the pictures you will see in a video presentation at this Sunday's Oasis gathering, Christi for making that amazing cheese ball, Chad for leading us in some Hank Williams Sr. "I Saw The Light", Bill for bringing the corn hole game (a big hit with the kids... although I was seen tossing quite a few bean bags myself), Ray for overseeing the fire (it goes against every bone in his body... he's more used to putting them out), and EVERYONE for participating. I could literally name everyone who came, because everyone brought something to make the party a special one. Those kinds of events are some of my favorite times as a church. I love it when we get together to party like that.

I have also uploaded yesterday morning's teaching from the Oasis gathering:
NOTES  |  AUDIO

Many Downloads Now Available

Today I have completed HALF of "Phase 2" of this web blog facelift. The current Oasis Sunday gathering teaching series through the book of 1 John is now accessible on this web site. Below are the links to both, the MP3 audio downloads and the PDF notes for the teachings. For quick reference at any time you can also find these files in the column to the left.

1 John 1:1-4  The Premise for the Book of 1 John (9/04/05)
AUDIO  |  NOTES

1 John 1:5-2:8  Our Greatest Problem (9/11/05)
AUDIO  |  NOTES

1 John 2:3-11  How to Know You are a Christian (9/18/05)
AUDIO  |  NOTES

1 John 2:12-17  Your Sins Have Been Forgiven by Jesus (9/25/05)
AUDIO  |  NOTES

1 John 2:18-27  Are You For Christ or Antichrist? (10/02/05)
AUDIO  |  NOTES

Thanks Louie

Yesterday's Oasis gathering in Middleport was a special one. The Lord relayed through Louie some very important reminders for us... that as we enjoy living our lives in relationship to Him our trust continues to grow, which means our faith begins to grow and as a result we begin to give Him more and more of ourselves. As we live our lives in constant practice of His Word, Works, and Worship we are continually putting ourselves in a place to KNOW Him better because we recognize our identity as His children.

I know Louie was a blessing to many yesterday. I saw the intercession team praying with an extra spark of life, I saw our worship team playing with an extra spark of life, and I saw our fellowship have something extra yesterday. It was life... the kind of life a person who is filled with the Holy Spirit brings to a group of people just by their presence. Thank you, Louie. We love you.

Download Louie's sermon here.

You...My God

This is a new song that I was recently given, I actually just finished writing it about an hour ago.  I was calling in my heart to learn an important lesson about the growth of my spiritual relationship with God.  This song is how God responded to my prayer.  It's a very quiet, meditative kind of song.  I don't have a name for it yet so if anyone can think of something to call it please give me your ideas.  Here are the lyrics:

Verse:
You came into my life
Like a storm out on the sea
I fell apart there in Your arms
But You saw the best of me
On that day You filled my heart with life

Chorus:
Now I am breathing You my God
Now I'm in love with You my God
I long to be held by You my One, my God

Verse:
Please hold me close like Your bride
And place Your hand indside
My everything bare before You
Come replace myself with You
I know You're there
So I tell the stars tonight

Chorus:

Verse:
Come rest Your head next to mine
Jesus I need You near
I'm Yours in every way...unbound
Though I'm fallen You smile on me

Chorus:

Download untitled_song.mp3

A Musical Prayer

Last night I came home and felt a strong compulsion in my heart to pray. I felt the irrepressible urge to pour my heart out to God. I felt like God was calling on my heart to engage in an intimate moment with Him. In my music I am vulnerable. My music is the voice I best know how to use. I sometimes wish that I could speak in this voice and no other so that my most pure heart can be given to God at all times. This is a weakness of mine I realize and I’m trying to let a voice spring from every ounce of my being. But as many of you know this is a learning process and God is yet busy teaching me how to do many of these things. Yet I love to express this voice to God. So I sat down and planned nothing. I simply found a sound that moved me. I turned off the lights, lit a candle, and stripped my soul naked before God. This is what came out of that moment. Perhaps it’s nothing to write home about but that doesn’t really matter to me. This was the conversation that God and I had last night. It was His love pouring into me and my heartfelt attempt at pouring it back out to Him. Sometimes the things we do can feel insignificant or inadequate. Yet God is a steadfast presence holding us there in the dark beside the candle. He wraps us in His warmth. He kisses the top of our head and cradles us. He sways us in His arms like his greatest love. His smile weakens us because it is so beautiful. He is there with us when we look upon the night sky and behold the majesty of the stars calling us home. He is there with us when we behold the splendor of life an invigorating sunrise. He is the rain that covers us in love and grace. He is…everything. He has been this since before the rise of time. He has been this all our lives even before we knew the sustenance of breath. He is the kiss of joy upon our lips. He is to be praised in all things. So let all our voices, in whatever form they might come, rattle the heavens with abounding joy. Go ahead. He is listening………………………

Download musical_prayer.mp3

You Move Me

Lately I've really been diggin on this Matt Redman tune called "Breathing the Breath" and it made me realize something.  I used to almost exclusively write for piano and voice.  Yet I have not yet done a praise band song in this setting.  I was hoping that God might lay something on my heart and like always He did.  It had been one of those days where nothing goes the way you want it to go.  I was frustrated to no end and I was sitting alone in my office when the urge to worship God washed over me.  I prayed a very simple prayer in that moment, "God help me to praise you now.  Help me to lift your name up in glory."  Then God slammed me with His love and it was beautiful.  This song is a result of that night.  I call it "You Move Me" and the lyrics are below.  My prayer is that it may speak to your heart like it spoke to mine as a reminder that God is ever present and always moving in our lives. 

You Move Me

These eyes have seen
These eyes have known
The dark and fear inside
These eyes have seen
These eyes have known
The chill of wayward days

Your eyes have seen me
Your eyes have found me
Your arms have held me
Your heart has touched me

Lord you move me
Lord you free me
Lord you fill me
Lord you reign in me

These eyes have seen
These eyes have known
Your calming touch inside
These eyes have seen
These eyes have known
Life unchained in your words

Your eyes have seen me
Your eyes have found me
Your arms have held me
Your heart has touched me

Lord you move me
Lord you free me
Lord you fill me
Lord you rage in me

Lord you move me
Lord you free me
Lord you fill me
Lord you reign in me

Download you_move_me.mp3

Let My Heart

When I first read through Psalms 119 I took notes along the way.  Basically I took note of any lines that stuck out to me.  Tonight I sat down with that list of lines after taking these past several days to ponder on my studies of Psalm 119.  As I was looking at these lines of scripture they just began to come together in a song.  This new song is called "Let My Heart" and it's a synthesis of some of my favorite lines out of Psalm 119.  This passage of scripture has impacted my life in big way this past week and I had to express that somehow.  Hence, I was given this song.  I began work on this song probably about 5 hours ago and after a dinner break I decided to sit down at my little workstation to whip up a rough cut of this tune.  I'm eventually going to go back and do a lot more with this song but this is the skeleton of it.  I just had to share it with my family because I feel like God really did a powerful thing with me tonight.  These words from His scripture have just really hit home with my life experience.  So below you'll find the lyrics to this song as well as the link to download it.  I hope that these words can minister to you as they have ministered to me.

Let My Heart:

Verse:
Open my eyes to see
Revive me by your word
How sweet are your words to my taste
I need the guidance of your hand
I rest my hope in your words
On your path is where my joy is found

Chorus:
Let my heart speak of you
Let my heart shower you
Let my heart beat wild for you
I will thank you by living your word

Verse:
Your word is a lamp for my feet
And a light for my path
Your gifts are my treasure
You've been the music of my life
Surround me with your mercy
So I may be your hearts delight

Repeat Chorus:

Bridge:
I faint with longing for you
You're boundless...beyond compare
Come salvation
Make me true for you
Make me true

Repeat Chorus:

Download let_my_heart.mp3

Amazing Grace

How many recordings of "Amazing Grace" do you think you've heard in your lifetime?  Hard to say isn't it.  Well, I decided to whip up a version of the tune.  We just got our regular keyboard back from the repair shop so I put it to some use to help me come up with this rendition of Amazing Grace.  Download at will.  I hope you like it.  This is one of those songs that I truly don't think I'll ever get tired of singing. 

Download amazing_grace.mp3