Scholarships are wonderful.  It is a reminder that hard work does eventually pay off.  I want to remind all of our students that not only do you need to excel in the classroom but you need to excel out of the classroom.  Excelling out of the classroom is actually of greater value that what occurs in the classroom.  Math and Science are good and can take you a long way but an honest word and a kind deed can be felt for generations to come.  Remember, you can’t work your way to Heaven.  NO scholarships are given for people that allows them access to Heaven.  Heaven is for those that realize they haven’t excelled; for those of us (all of us) that have missed the mark! When we realize our sin and recognize our Savior then we are given the keys to eternity. Just like your mamas are proud of you with a great report card or scholarship, the Heavens and the Lord Himself is proud of you when you acknowledge Him.

Blessings to you graduates.  Keep pursuing your hopes and dreams through your education.  Just never forget that the ultimate diploma is when your name is written in the Lambs Book of Life!

Pastor Tim

Pastor Tim

Blessings,

Pastor Tim

Church, join me in praying that God would allow many people to have their relationship with the Lord as well as with their church family and community strengthened.  Pray that God would protect people from injury and that Oakland would be able to continue to be united with sweet and kindred spirits.

On a personal note it is hard to believe that my children will be turning 10 and 7 this month.  When the Lord called Ginger and I to Oakland, Zachary was 2 years old!  I want to thank all of our children workers that minister to my children.  I pray that my kids would always enjoy coming to church.  Though I love being Pastor of Oakland, I love being a dad more.  I am very proud of Zachary and Christina and I hope that this year will be filled with lots of learning, fun and adventure for both of them.  Oakland, when you show Christian love to my family, you are blessing me more than you will ever know.  Happy birthday, Zac and Christina; Daddy loves you very much!

Happy February. Stay warm!

Pastor Tim

Please pray about and pursue what service you could give the Lord this year that would be beneficial to the Kingdom and to our church. Pursuit is a constant element of our life: We pursue happiness, health, wealth, acceptance, and the list could go on and on. I hope we don’t forget that scripture teaches us to pursue peace (Psalm 34:14) and righteousness (2 Timothy 2:22). If we pursue these things in 2012, I believe we will experience another fantastic year. God is so good to us! Will we be so good to God this year?

God bless you, OBC. As I said in this month’s Messenger, call on me at any time if I can be of assistance to your family. I love being here at the church, preaching and teaching, but the real joy is when I get to represent the Lord and our church away from our church walls.

Let’s have another year filled with fun, love, laughter and tears. Together, if we pursue peace and righteousness, we will be reminded of God’s goodness to each of us.

Happy New Year, OBC!

Pastor Tim

Such snow days remind me of God’s desire for us to keep a childlike attitude when it comes to our faith.  As Jesus welcomed the children into his safe, loving arms, we all need to be reminded this Christmas to approach this sacred Holiday as the time when Christ came to this world to save sinners like you and me.

My son Zachary is in a couple of plays this winter.  He plays Elmer in “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever” (he plays the son of the preacher!) and he also has a pretty decent part in our Children’s Christmas Musical.  I remind him of two rules: Speak Out and Slow Down.  My prayer is that all of us use those two rules this Christmas.  Let’s all speak out and not be ashamed to tell people the real meaning of Christmas.  Let us all Slow Down.  We don’t need to be running around at a hundred miles an hour.  Go make a snow man and drink a half glass of hot chocolate; it is those days that will be remembered.

Merry Christmas,

Pastor Tim

James 1:17 says, “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the Heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.”  This is a verse that we all need to cling to.  I am well aware that lots of folks struggle with times like Thanksgiving.  Not everyone has a good family, but everyone has a good God.  Not everyone gets to have their loved ones gathered around the table, but everyone has the opportunity to be at God’s table.  This verse reminds us that though life has its highs and lows, God never changes, nor does His love for us.  Our society and our lives are like shifting shadows, but not God.  He is the consistent one.  Regardless of your emotions at this time of year, cling to God. Know that He loves you and is patiently waiting on you to join Him one day soon.

Since becoming Lead Pastor of OBC in 2004, I have always gotten up on Thanksgiving morning and called everyone in the congregation, wishing them a Happy Thanksgiving.  This is my desire again this year.  However, it is getting pretty tough (this is a good problem!).  Hopefully, I will be able to call you – if not, please know that I love you and am so glad that your family is part of ours.

Have a fantastic Thanksgiving,

Pastor Tim

I was anxious to get home and relax and do what most men do during fall; watch football!  I got home from church, helped Ginger get the kids in bed and had just sat down to watch a ballgame when the phone rang.  I don’t know how often you get “the phone call” but I can assure you it’s not fun.  On the other end of the line was Darlene, telling me that the hospital folks wanted the family to get their as soon as they could.  When the hospital calls you, it’s usually not good.  When I arrived at the hospital, my heart ached for the Brown family:  so many sad people.

Just a few days earlier I was with so many happy people.  It began to dawn on me that though there were two different emotions at the wedding and at the funeral, there were still two celebrations!  The same God that brought those two love birds together is the same God that allowed Chris, Darlene’s husband, into the gates of Heaven.  Though the wedding folks got to see the celebration here, the real celebration occurred when Chris entered those pearly gates!

Looking back at those two occasions, I see God at work in both and I see God’s people at work as well.  As far as the funeral and ministering to Darlene’s family, I want to thank each of your prayers for her and the kids.  I had the opportunity to meet Chris’ sisters from Arkansas.  They both wanted me to extend their gratitude to each of you that reached out to Chris during his time of need.  We all wished the story could have ended differently but one thing remains the same: God is still God and it is He that desires for us to be faithful to Him.  Please continue to remember this precious family in your prayers.

Oakland, thanks for being you.  I pray that everyone has a great October.  Pray for Ginger and I; we are taking the kids on vacation during fall break!  I am really looking forward in getting away with my beautiful family.  The last time we got away on vacation we spent way too much money and did all kinds of neat things with the kids.  When we arrived home, before getting out of the car I asked our daughter, Christina, what her favorite part was. Her infamous response: “Going to Sonic!”  Hopefully this vacation will be a little more meaningful for her.

Blessings and love to each of you,

Pastor Tim

Transformation is a huge word.  All throughout the New Testament there is a consistent theme that walking with the Lord will cause immediate “transformation.”  All of us who claim Christ as the Lord of our life are “Under Construction.”  If you are like most people, nothing is more irritating than when you see a house or a building being built and the construction comes to a halt.  My fear is that though we are being transformed into God’s likeness, our “construction” may have come to a halt. Allow Christ to continue to mold and make you.  Like our church building, allow the Lord to go at turbo speed in your life.  Trust me: you will love the end product that He creates in you!

Don’t forget about our churchwide picnic on Sunday, September 25, at Ed Spear Park.  Invite your entire family and lots of your friends with you.  This is one of Oakland’s greatest traditions that we have.  Come out and spend the day with your church family; you won’t regret it!

Blessings,
Pastor Tim

I really do believe that this ministry has lots of potential to see many folks come to a relationship with Christ.  I am very excited about this for our church family.  Not many churches would choose to spend time with more than 200 young people whom most of society has given up on.  Psalm 68:5 says that God will be a father to the fatherless.

I look forward to many of these young people giving their hearts to Christ.  Join us in praying that this will happen.  Also, pray for Pastor Mark as he will be joining the students on Sunday nights to read the Bible with a handful of them.  God has big plans for us!  Thank you, Oakland, for supporting and endorsing this ministry.  May each of us witness transformation not only in these students but in our own lives as well.

Blessings,
Pastor Tim