All Categories

I didn't have a chance to share the poll result from this past Sunday's question: Where do you first go to for wisdom? Here is where we landed:

8:00 Service
The Internet, Parents or Adult - 31.4% (tie)
The Bible - 14.3%
Friends - 11.4%

9:30 Service
The Internet - 29%
The Bible - 23.5%
Parents or Adult - 21.5%
From Within - 11.5%

11:00 Service
Parents or Adult - 31%
The Bible - 24%
The Internet - 19%

David was a young ruler in the Bible who sought wisdom. There were moments he sought the popularity of the people for wisdom. At times, He sought wisdom inside of himself. In one specific instance, David sought a greater wisdom. He writes: Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God (Psalm 20:7).

With access to all the information the world has to offer in the literal palm of your hand, we need people to help us make sense of "information overload". That's the challenge in our digital world, today. . . we have lots of information and not a whole lot of wisdom.

Thanks to the internet, we have one of the most knowledge-rich generations to have ever lived on earth. They need your help. We need each other's help to get beyond information and be shaped into wise people like Jesus.

Jesus did this on the cross. The thief had the information... but he needed wisdom. Jesus took his little information about a relationship with God and shaped it into wisdom. The response? Today you will be with me in paradise. Information: There is a God and there is a heaven. Wisdom: A relationship with God is possible through Jesus and heaven is a promise you can have confidence in, by faith.

What would it look like for you to do two things this week? First, seek wisdom. We don't have the the full picture of reality (who does?). Humbly, we need each other to understand the quickly changing world of information around us. Second, we give wisdom. Who are the people in your life that seem to have all the knowledge and need a spiritual mom or dad to bring meaning and understanding to it?

May we never tire of learning what this means. We have many guides, but not many fathers... so, imitate me as I imitate our collective older brother, Jesus.

Operations Director Search Update

2/27/2020

I'll be honest... director-level staff transitions are hard on me. Conceptually, they're simple and I really enjoy facilitating them. Emotionally, they're extremely taxing... at least for me. I have come to believe that churches don't "just hire" director-level staff. The aspect of ministry calling adds a unique spiritual dynamic that is deeply tied to asking the question, "what is God up to and how can we join His work (and not create our own)?". After all, our ultimate win has to do with eternal investments (and consequences!). Simply put, our win is not solely a bottom line.

As a result, I've spent many evenings praying about our Operations Director transition and placing it in God's hands, seeking His voice and leading, and silently listening for God's response.

Will you join me in doing the same over the next 40 days? It might be simply praying, God, give those who have the responsibility to seek our new Operations Director wisdom, discernment, and confidence to make well-informed, God-honoring, and wise choices when it comes to potential applicants and candidates. May we celebrate with them when we see what You are doing in us and through us, and give us the boldness to faithfully join You there.

As you pray over all of this with me, I want to update you where we are in the process, itself. Earlier this week, I shared this same information with our Board of Directors, our Elders, and our Ministry Team.

Our application deadline of March 1 (Sunday!) is quickly approaching. If God has placed anyone on your mind or heart to applying for this position, now is the time they need to submit their 1) Cover Letter; 2) Resume or CV; and 3) their Completed Employment Application (available at www.oslc.com/jobs).

Our first face-to-face Search Team Meeting will be March 4. The Search Team includes members: Jim Grant (Board of Directors), Judy Vadney (Retried HR Executive), Joe Newman (Retired Thrivent Representative), Wayne Flood (Retired Management Executive), Tracy Schlatter (Outreach and Connections Director), and myself. Our agenda will be simple: 1) Pray over OSLC and Seek God’s Wisdom and Discernment in this Search; 2) Review the Job Description (in broad strokes); and 3) Select Applicants to move into “Round Two”.

We currently have three applicants to consider. I anticipate at least two more applicants. We have several other applicants who have only partially applied (most of them submitted their Cover Letter and Resume/CV, but no Employment Application). They have been encouraged to complete and submit the application prior to March 1 to be fully considered. The Search Team may choose to reach out to individuals they feel might be good candidates to have pre-consideration conversations on or around March 3rd’s meeting.

I believe transparency is extremely important for this position. As a result, here is a bird's-eye overview of our process:

Round One: Applicants submit their Cover Letter, Resume/CV, and Employment Application for consideration. We have solicited potential applicants from within OSLC; the Church’s Network; the Cascade Christian School Alumni, Concordia Academy Alumni, and Concordia University Alumni Networks; as well as indeed.com (with very tight parameters).

Round Two: Selected Applicants are contacted and are invited to complete assessments in finance, strengths-based leadership, and team dynamics. After they complete the assessments, they will receive additional coaching by one of our OSLC coaches. Coaches will share a summary with the Search Team to review prior to our next meeting.

Round Three: The Search Team will review the candidates based on the assessments and coaching summary and select up to two candidates to spend time with staff, Sue Bratz, and our Directors Team. The two candidates will also complete formal interviews with the Search Team.

The Search Team may choose to offer a time for interested Congregation Members to meet him or her, too.

Decision Making: From the two candidates, the Search Team will decide by general consensus which one to recommend to the Board of Directors for consideration and approval at a late March/early April meeting (this could be a special meeting with this being the only agenda item).

The Search Team may also choose to at this point (or at any point) to re-start the process if we need to solicit a new pool of applicants.

Final Approval: The final approval of the hire is a formal Board recommendation to the congregation and a Congregational Vote at the June 14th Annual Meeting

Thank you for your ongoing support of the incredible ministry that we share. As we move into a very engaged 40 days (complete with Lent/Easter), please keep your church, your staff, your leaders, and this search process in your prayers. You can specifically pray for wisdom, discernment, unity, and clarity to see where God is leading and the faithful spirit to follow Him. As a always, you can reach out to me at pastortim@oslc.com with any questions.

Love you more than you know.

According to Wikipedia, the roots of the word is a shortened form of the Old English word lencten, meaning "spring season". However beyond marking physical time, for followers of Jesus, Lent is a spiritual marker of time that welcomes the 40 day journey toward the pinnacle of the gospel message.

If you grew up in the church, you may have heard of or experienced Lent traditions such as giving something up, special worship services, devotions and prayer, deeper reflection, or fasting. Growing up outside of Detroit, we had a fairly large Polish community where they would eat Paczkis, on the day before Lent began. Culturally, we know that day as "Fat Tuesday" where we indulge ourselves because we know what's about to happen.

As a follower of Jesus, Lent is an important part of living like Jesus. It a time that reminds me that I am not Jesus... though, I strive to be like Him. I am reminded of my temptations in light of Jesus' victory... my brokenness in the middle of Jesus' wholeness... my unsteadiness and unfaithfulness - even when Jesus is steady and faithful.

This Lent, I'm (personally) choosing to reflect on Jesus' justice, equity, peace, and humility in the middle of my personal and our culture's self-centeredness. It's so easy to make everything in life about me. From family meal times to work challenges; from cultural tensions to little comments that come and go. I need to be reminded that life is not about me... it's about Jesus.

It's Jesus' justice on the cross that levels the playing field so acceptance for all can be ushered into real life.

It's Jesus' equity in his suffering with the criminals that shows me that indeed, there is no distinction (unless we're talking about God and everything else).

It's Jesus' peace I find in the words, "It is finished" when He gives up His spirit.

It's Jesus' humility when He comes back to life and doesn't say, "I told you so", but rather invites me and whoever else chooses to follow Him to change the world to make life a little more like heaven on earth.

Will you join me in creating space for this important time. Worship. Reflect. Check out our daily online devotions. It can be habit forming. I pray that it will change your heart to be more like Jesus.

Love you more than you know.

Kicking Off Our digital gods Series, Together!

2/14/2020

Let's kick off our digital gods message series, together! Here are three ways you can prepare your hearts for how I believe God wants to shape our hearts to love God, love people, and live like Jesus when it comes to technology.

Check out the video (above). I hope that this content will help you see technology as a cultural reality that affects all ages, races, ethnicities, genders, and religions. . . not just young people.

Bookmark www.oslc.com/poll on your smartphone or tablet (and bring it with you each Sunday). Each week, we will ask you to participate in a poll that will help get us thinking about a specific area of technology and faith.

Bring a Friend and your Bible. This is a fantastic opportunity to invite people - skeptics, religious, irreligious, non-church goers... whoever God brings to mind, to engage in this incredibly culturally relevant teaching. We know it's just another teaching if we don't ground it in God's Word... so, that's my promise to you - that we begin, end, and saturate each week's message in God's Word (that will never change!).

A series like this has the potential to become overly-informational and judgmental on all sides. As your pastors, we are committed to you that this series will go far beyond information... our goal is to create space and opportunity for God to shape your heart and equip you to live like Jesus when it comes to technology and faith.

Likewise, we are committed to not cast judgment (though, I guarantee, there will be conviction). Judgment is condemnation - and that's not our goal nor is it what we intend to do. Conviction is the work of God's Spirit that helps us find our way back to God.

That's my prayer for all of us... that as we apply God's timeless truth to this culturally relevant topic so that many find their way back to God and all of us would love God, love people, and live like Jesus when it comes to technology.

See you Sunday! Love you more than you know. -pt

Chaotic Politics and a Whole Lot of Jesus

2/6/2020

If you haven’t noticed, our political landscape is kind of nuts.

For some, the ongoing chaos, confusion, and child-like behavior on all sides of the aisle can leave us cynical, apathetic, and hopeless. Yet, others are motivated to become more proactive and vocal - as if there is a war to be fought and prizes to be won on every issue, both moral and amoral.

So, where does that leave us?

Here are five starting points to faith and politics. Note that these are high-level starting points for consideration - not a "how to". Spoiler Alert: they will all point us back to Jesus, the ultimate hope.

Starting Point #1: Politics will not save us. Jesus already has.
No amount of moral legislation saves people. At best, it can curb behavior, convict wrong doing, and encourage obedience through power and control. Romans 3:20 says that through the law, we become conscious of our sin. Simply put, the law can not save people.

That's worth saying again: no amount of legislation - as good, wholesome, or morally correct as it might be can save people.

But, Jesus can. And, he has. When the set time had fully come, God sent his Son [Jesus], born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship [citizenship]. (Galatians 4:4-5)

Starting Point #2: Jesus welcomes little children. He doesn't scare them off.
Romans 2:11 declares that God shows no favoritism. The Bible does not suggest that God has a political party or a specific political candidate. Meaning... God is not a Republican. God is not a Democrat. God is not a Libertarian. God is not even an Independent. And, any party, ideology, or person that claims Jesus as "solely their guy" is (as pastor/author Andy Stanley puts it), "scaring the children".

Jesus is everybody's guy. . . especially those who don't think He's their guy. God will always be for all people. And we teach that to children from an early age, don't we? So, when they hear that Jesus is one party's or one candidate's guy (albeit, I trust that it's unintentional), they're left confused (at best) and angry (at worst).

Starting Point #3: Jesus frees us to be intimately involved in all areas of life - including politics.
We don't need to be 100% right. We don't even need to be 50% right. We have a Savior who was 100% right for us so that we can live in religious and political freedom that is guided by our faith-based conscience.

The gospel frees us from needing to win every argument. It frees us to be involved in areas of life such as politics with conviction knowing that when we do get it wrong, we can admit it and find unity in something greater and deeper than our human agreement. The gospel is the solution to our anger over the chaos, brokenness, and confusion within our politics. In the words of Paul: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners - of whom I am the worst (1 Timothy 1:15).

Starting Point #4: Christ-followers engage the political landscape with a different message.
Often times what makes politics so volatile today is a "2-D" liberal/conservative messaging. Jesus is neither liberal or conservative. But, what if gospel-centered Christians live in a different dimension? In 1 Corinthians 9, the Apostle Paul says that he is free and belongs to no one. He has become all things to all people for the sake of the gospel so that He might share God's blessings.

That's a very different message than the liberal/conservative agendas. That means you - Christian liberals (yes, there are many!) and Christian conservatives (there are many of you, too!) have a bigger message than your platform. It's a better message than universal health care, lower taxes, better trade agreements, or anything to do with immigration and human rights. The message is that human dignity matters just as much human life. Protecting wealth is just as important as feeding the poor and providing services to underserved. People of privilege do have an upper hand which brings a higher responsibility. Indeed, Luke 12:48 says, Everyone to whom much was given, of him much will be required, and from him to whom they entrusted much, they will demand the more.

Starting Point #5: Christians offer a distinctively different hope.
Even Jesus' disciples expected Jesus to save them from Roman occupation. While they were expecting President-Elect Jesus to restore Jerusalem with authority, power, and rule - to make everything right again; Jesus said that his kingdom is not of this world (John 18:36). You can imagine the excitement of hope being sucked out of the room when he said that.

Here's the point. Jesus brings a different hope - and we carry His hope into our politics. An earthly politician is limited in the hope they can bring. They will not ever legislate morality to the level of Biblical standards. They will never bring hope in the way that Jesus, alone brings.

Jesus has already brought peace in his own kingdom way - not through edicts or decrees, but through His death on the cross. Jesus has already legislated morality to God's standards through his sacrifice for the sin of the world. And if we need proof, we have an empty grave that brings peace, eternal life, and a perfection that only God can give.

Final Thought... for now: Take a deep breath. God has this. He has had every government, every leader, every election, every piece of legislation, every thing in all creation in the palm of his hand since the beginning of time. There have been times of conviction and discipline as well as times of peace and prosperity. But, in all times - in moments when it feels like death and in the moments when life feels almost perfect - we can be confident that neither death nor life, angels nor demons, the present or the future, nor height or depth, or anything in all creation can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus, our Lord. For we are more than conquerers through Christ who saved us (Romans 8:31-39).

So, go... you're free to be active in politics - wherever your Holy Spirit-filled conscience may lead you. Remember that Jesus is the hope of the world - not you... or any political ideology or human being. And, because Jesus is crowned Lord of All, He's already got this.

He's got you, too.

See you Sunday as we share $133,000 of God’s Generosity with 24 mission partners (9:30 and 11:00 services, only). Come and learn how you can be a part of what God is doing around our region and world. There is much to celebrate! Love you more than you know. -pt

Rain

1/30/2020

With all the rain over the last month, I’m reminded of how Psalm 72 describes leaders as “rain falling on a mown field, like showers watering the earth”.

What does that mean?

For me, it reminds me that God's gospel is power. I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile. (Romans 1:16).

The Prophet Isaiah echos this same conviction.

As the rain and the snow
come down from heaven,
and do not return to it
without watering the earth
and making it bud and flourish,
so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater,
so is my word that goes out from my mouth:
It will not return to me empty,
but will accomplish what I desire
and achieve the purpose for which I sent it. (Isaiah 55:10-11)

Which is great news! It means...
+ The parts of my heart that I've blocked out can be be healed.
+ My boredom can become excitement.
+ I can confidently say "goodbye" to the things that are already dead in my life.
+ My deferred dreams can be re-engaged again.

And it's all because of what Jesus has done for me. His grace for my judgment. His freedom for my limited perspective. His confidence for my hopelessness. His dreams for my failures. His love for my rejection.

And you have the same promise, too. So do your children... your grandchildren... your spouse... your friends... The gospel falls like rain on everybody - even those we may not expect it to. . . and God's promise is that its work always accomplishes getting His world back. Indeed, nobody is "too far gone" to have a seat at the table.

See you tonight at the Luau Dance or Sunday for worship! Love you more than you know. -pt

How Not to Invite Others to Join You (from personal experience)

1/16/2020

Will you be at the table, this Sunday?

I hope you will.

We want to discover how we can invite others to join Jesus at the table. It will be practical, biblical, and encouraging. In the meantime, here are three ways not to invite others to join you (brought to you by my personal experiences!).

1. Don't send a text invite to [Life] Group without first proofreading it. I invited a friend to our group by texting him, "I'll pick you up tonight. Make sure you inflate Jenny (his wife), too". Yeah... awkward and embarrassing.

2. If you invite someone to a meal, make sure you know the menu. Back in college, I invited a friend to a service project with dinner afterwards. We arrive at dinner after delivering care packages to cancer patients at a local hospital. It never crossed my mind to check the menu... pasta bar with copious amounts of garlic bread. My friend is gluten-free. Oops. I took her to get soup and salad afterwards.

3. Don't invite a Michigan fan to a Saturday service at 5:00 p.m. during football season. Undefeated Michigan was playing Wisconsin. My friend, Ryan agreed to come to church with me if he could follow the game on the ESPN app. I told him "sure". Just as the sermon ended, Michigan scored a touchdown, breaking the 7-7 tie to win the game. No joke. I say "amen" and he shouts, "touchdown!". I couldn't have timed it better myself. I'd like to think he said a "thank you, Jesus" prayer later in the service.

Scared, intimidated, or don’t really know how best to invite others to join you at the table? This week’s message is for you. See you Sunday.

Love you more than you know. -pt

Not Better... But, Different.

1/10/2020

I recently read a blog article by Jasmine Bina about building your brand and strategy. To summarize she say, "Better will always be a losing game for your brand." She outlines four ways to "own different":

Create a new category everyone else is blind to.
Move from utility to lifestyle.
Change the focus.
Change the reality.

While I'm not endorsing (or endorsing) the article, it made me think about how Jesus' invitation to "come, follow me" doesn't necessarily makes us better... but different.

By Jesus inviting people like Levi, you, and me to the table, He creates a new understanding that others are blind to. The Pharisees miss it. People today even miss it! I mean, what would it look like to be part of a church where you belong with Jesus long before you know it, accept it, or participate in it?

Living a lifestyle of following Jesus looks very different than checking the boxes of what Christianity may expect "good people" to do. For Jesus, it's not enough to only go to church and live the other 167 hours of the week as if his invitation doesn't always apply. Following Jesus is a lifestyle, not just a collection of activities we check off a list. Indeed, Jesus has come to bring us life (24/7), and to bring it abundantly! (John 10:10)

Jesus changes the focus of those who are at the table. I'm not going to say much about this right now... just pay attention to the sketch (skit), this Sunday.

And, through Jesus' invitation to us to participate and be joined together with Him in His life, death, and resurrection, our reality is forever changed. We are never apart from the Creator of the Universe. We are never far from divine power and presence. Our eternal reality is secure in the One who died and came back to life to never die again.

Notice that Jesus' invitation doesn't necessarily make us better people (though, we do become more like Jesus who is understood to be the best human being to walk the earth)... but, for sure, Jesus' invitation to us to follow Him makes us different people. Perhaps, people who have such a humble spirit that welcomes people we wouldn't expect to walk with us - with Jesus. . . who craves to be with Jesus every moment of every day (not just one hour a week). . . who focus on different things when they're with others at the table. . . and who life a different reality now and in our forever future.

Different. Not, necessarily better. What do you think?

Love you more than you know. -pt

January 02nd, 2020

1/2/2020

Have you ever felt left out? Like an outsider? Like you don’t belong?

I have. . . and it’s not fun!

I remember having tears in my eyes. Rage was building inside of me. I had just moved from the rural fields of Central Nebraska to suburban Detroit. For the last four years, I played center on the basketball team for the last four years (I was 5'8" and there were only 6 guys on the team, so it wasn't like I had any competition... but don't tell that to a 13 year old jock!). It was the first day of 8th grade basketball try-outs. I knew the game and yet didn't know the drills. I understood the language and yet didn't know anybody well enough to play cohesively. And even though I could run with the rest of the guys, I knew I didn't socially belong. I was an outsider from Nebraska in a pool of suburban kids who had been playing ball together since elementary school. And no matter how hard I tried, there was no way of earning an invitation onto team.

That was a really hard week.

Good thing Jesus doesn’t leave any of us out! The Apostle Paul nails it when he writes, "remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ." (Ephesians 2:12-13)

What if Jesus extended an invitation to you to have a seat at the table - regardless of who you are and what you've done?

What if Jesus invites someone to the table and you don't think they should be there?

What if there is always more room at the table... and people are dying to take their seat?

Could it be that Jesus wants to invite more people to the table... and He wants you to extend the invitation because you're already there?

Let’s kick off the new year by discovering what it means to have a seat “at the table”. You’re invited (and your friends and family are, too!). Bring your Bible and invite someone else, this Sunday. Can’t wait!

Love you more than you know! -pt

Merry Christmas!

12/24/2019

Merry Christmas, OSLC Family!

We're about 2 hours away from welcoming services-full of people. It's my first OSLC Christmas and I couldn't be more excited to spend it with many of you! Before I join our Worship Team for our sound check and walk-through, I wanted to just drop a short note to wish you and your family a very merry Christmas.

So much has changed since we last sang these carols, lit the candles, and heard the story. Three different homes. Fewer loved ones to wish Merry Christmas. New babies to make "googely-eyes" at for the "perfect" picture. A whole new church family. A cross-country move. New friends to sing "Silent Night" with as we share good tidings of great joy in Jesus.

I think about how our community has changed, too. Just in the last month, we experienced the sudden tragic loss of Officer Cooper Dyson, church family members, and for some - scary medical and financial news, employment and relationships with family and friends.

With all of life's changes, I'm so glad that the Christmas message remains the same. I like how author Sally Lloyd-Jones puts it: And there, in the stable, amongst the chickens and the donkeys and the cows, in the quiet of the night, God gave the world his wonderful gift. The baby that would change the world was born. His baby Son (Jesus Storybook Bible, p. 182).

And change the world He does. . . for the better. Sin is forgiven. Hope is restored. We can go through life with God and each other.

Wherever you find yourself tonight, my prayer for you tonight is that you would experience the joy, hope, love, and peace of Emmanuel - God with us in body, mind, and spirit.

Good and loving God, in the middle of life's changes, may we experience joy tonight as we celebrate Jesus' birth. You came as a human being to live among us and bring the riches of your healing grace to a broken world. Surround Officer Dyson's family and all those who are missing loved ones tonight with your song of hope and rescue. In our weakness, give us your strength to sing your song again. As you have given yourself to us, may we continually learn what it means to give ourselves to others. With all of the mountains and trees, the animals and all of heaven and earth, may we repeat the sounding joy because Jesus is here. Amen.

Merry Christmas. Love you more than you know.

Pastor Tim

<<Previous

Forward>>

Pastor Tim's Blog

Where Do You Go?

Operations Director Search Update

What is Lent?

Kicking Off Our digital gods Series, Together!

Chaotic Politics and a Whole Lot of Jesus

Rain

How Not to Invite Others to Join You (from personal experience)

Not Better... But, Different.

January 02nd, 2020

Merry Christmas!

Meet Pastor Tim

Archives

Categories

OUR CHURCH

GET INVOLVED

OUR SCHOOLS