River Oaks Church: Live - Connect - Engage

Three Keys for Facing Conflict For most of us, conflict is hard! Many of us would rather avoid conflict than engage in it. One of the reasons we tend to avoid conflict or perceived conflict with others is our own fear of being disliked or considered "rude". A key to overcoming that fear lies in our personal relationship with God. For all of us, the strength to face difficulties, whether they be relational or otherwise, comes from security in God. How are you learning to rest in Jesus and in who He has made you to be, and is making you to be? As we grow in your security in Him, we grow in our ability to face conflict.  If you are facing the need to have a difficult conversation with a family member, a friend, a co-worker, or a church family member, consider the following keys for effectiveness. 1. Consider your motives Have you stopped to consider your own motives?  Ask yourself, "Why is this important to me?"  2. Consider your source Have you spen...

To truly CONNECT, a disciple of Jesus must live out an authenticity that is counter-cultural. The connection that we refer to includes an openness to the input of others and their discernment, an authenticity based on our willingness to be our “true self” in the relationship and finally a genuine love for one each other that comes from a deep awareness of how loved we are by God himsel f.  We were made for connection! God created us in His image. An image that includes a constant connection (Father, Son, Spirit). Search the web for "more connected than ever" and you will find pages and pages of articles explaining how our "connectedness" of today is actually leading to more loneliness than ever. After looking at Jesus' words about Pharisees and whitewashed tombs on Sunday, I discussed the need for each of us to: Spend time on the inside. Tone down the "outside". It seems to me that one of the great lacks of the church today is...

Discovering and engaging in the God-given purposes for your life. This includes understanding gifts, understanding passions, recognizing needs, and engaging in ministry purposefully based on these foundations.  So, how does James 4:11-12 inform us as it relates to engaging the world? As followers of Jesus, we have a clear mandate - Love God, Love Others! Let's read James 4:11-12 again. 11 Do not criticize one another, my brothers and sisters. If you criticize fellow-Christians or judge them, you criticize the Law and judge it. If you judge the Law, then you are no longer one who obeys the Law, but one who judges it. 12God is the only lawgiver and judge. He alone can save and destroy. Who do you think you are, to judge someone else?  Carey Nieuwhof recently posted the following recently: And that about sums it up. Let's take a close look at our own attitudes and ask God to show us where we need His grace to love more freely and extend grace more fully. His lo...

LIVE IN JESUS FULLY - James 4:11-12 One of the characteristics of a mature follower of Jesus is that he/she is regularly praying for others. Caring for, and looking out for others, loving them as we love ourselves is the second of the "greatest commandments" mentioned by Jesus. And, as we pray, we want our prayers to be a blessing and to make a difference! Praying for others, however, may not be effective in many cases. What do I mean by that? The Bible is clear that our attitudes and awareness has much to do with our productive prayer life. In other words, how am I viewing the one for whom I am praying? Have I turned to judgment? Am I judging where only God truly has the right to decide? On Sunday, Pastor Tim Martin turned our attention to James 4:11-12: 11 Do not criticize one another, my brothers and sisters. If you criticize fellow-Christians or judge them, you criticize the Law and judge it. If you judge the Law, then you are no longer one who obeys the...

Celebrate the Feast of Trumpets (Rosh Hashanah) As we learned a few weeks ago, the Feast of Trumpets is this Sunday and Monday. If you aren't sure about what/why this festival matters, you can review the sermon here. Don't forget to make a plan to celebrate with others and to remember and recount together the story God has been writing for all history. Along with that, take time to remember your own story, to recount how God has been with you, and to consider what new things He is calling you to in the coming year. Here are some other ideas for you to use in celebration of this appointed time of God. Play Hebrew music throughout the day (Paul Wilbur, Laeli, Joshua Aaron) Enjoy a favorite meal including apple dessert as is a modern  Jewish tradition  Make a list of as many ways as you can recall that God has provided for or blessed you this past year. Pray together for the ways you look for God to reveal himself to you this coming “new” year Spend ti...

Why is it so hard to talk about God? What keeps us from naturally sharing what is most important to us in our lives?  One of the most significant problems we have is that we haven't embraced the truism that people don't care to hear what we have to say until they know we care about them. In other words, most Christians became Christians through existing relationships, friendships, and connections. Therefore, it is imperative that we embrace our purpose of connecting with others in a loving and caring and genuine way.  On Sunday we looked at three areas of life we can work on allow room for talking about God naturally with others. You can watch the message online here. Three challenges received from Colossians 4:2-6 are: Begin with Prayer Be aware of our Conduct Make sure our Speech (conversations) are helpful How is it with you in these areas? Here are our "Taking it Home" points we can be working on this week: How can I engage more in...

Tomorrow we wrap up our mini-series on Intentional Relationships. Most of us have not yet embraced all of what God has intended for us! If you'd like to prepare before Sunday, read Colossians 4:2-6.   We will have a special guest with us to talk about a very practical way we can open our lives to some special international students who have come to JMU to study.  I'm looking forward to all God has in store for us as we worship Him together. See you tomorrow, Pastor Kevin “Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with an attitude of thanksgiving; praying at the same time for us as well, that God will open up to us a door for the word, so that we may speak forth the mystery of Christ, for which I have also been imprisoned; that I may make it clear in the way I ought to speak. Conduct yourselves with wisdom toward outsiders, making the most of the opportunity. Let your speech always be with grace, as though seasoned with salt, so that you will know how yo...