http://www.oakbrookchurch.com/blog/ en mark@oakbrookchurch.com Copyright 2012 2012-01-30T16:42:19+00:00 http://www.oakbrookchurch.com//blog/entry/monday_morning_recap_january_30 http://www.oakbrookchurch.com/site/monday_morning_recap_january_30/#When:15:42:19Z Happy Monday Everybody! Hope your week is off to a great start. The Guardrail series was such a great series for me and I hope it was for you as well. And I'm so proud of the 75+ people who picked up one of the 90 Day Tithe Challenge packets. Way to go!We ran out of packets in both services-sorry. If you did not get one you can go online and get the information here... http://www.oakbrookchurch.com/tithe I will be praying for all of you this week as you look over the challenge and make a decision. Don't let fear lead you. Pray and do what God commands you to do. He can be trusted! Here's the scripture passages we looked at yesterday: Matt. 6:24-34 and Malachi 3: 8-10. Spend some time reading them before you make your decision. If you would like to talk to us about your decision give Karl Stoneking a call-455-1100. Man the popcorn was amazing last night at Leadership Community. Rural King better watch out!! What a great night...Monty the Sax Man with a shirt opened way to low! Ashley D's powerful story of God working in her life! Bill Hybel's challenge. And some fresh vision for us all to own. 1000 in 5. Lets pray this vision into a reality! Thanks to everyone who came out last night. Don't miss this Sunday's experiences. We will be having a Baptism Celebration and I'll be sharing some vision for the future. Be praying about the new series beginning Feb. 12th...40 Days in the Word. If your not in a small group yet join one during this series for 6 weeks. Life change happens best in circles not rows! Have a great week. Love Doing Church with You Guys! Mark   Monday Morning Recap 2012-01-30T15:42:19+00:00 http://www.oakbrookchurch.com//blog/entry/dollars_and_sense_January_30 http://www.oakbrookchurch.com/site/dollars_and_sense_January_30/#When:15:39:58Z Hopefully you were here yesterday and heard Mark talk about "Give, Save & Live". I don't know about you, but finding that balance between being a responsible saver and an irresponsible hoarder can be difficult. It even creates some "healthy tension" in our home. Well, this tension has carried over into the financial world. Economist are now arguing about whether we as Americans should be saving more or spending more. Some economist are actually worried that Americans are saving too much now and that our lack of spending is bad for the economy. So, who's right? The economist who thinks its our duty to spend more for the good of the country or the economist who thinks that it is in our best interest to save more? It is my belief that we would all be better off if we would save more. Build up a strong savings and then purchase what we need and want from that. Save for a new computer and then purchase a new computer with savings. Save up for a vacation and then pay for that vacation with cash. Spending would still happen...It would just look different. We'd go from wanting something, getting it and then paying for it over the next several years plus a lot of interest to wanting something, saving for it, and then getting it. It's such a simple concept, but instead many of us have bought into the lie that we are "consumers" and consumers can't be inconvenienced by waiting or that delayed gratification is too much work. Besides, we can get that computer or vacation or TV with no money down and no interest for 12 months. The pull of our consumer culture is as strong as a riptide. But all is not lost if more of us would just take the time and effort to work out a cash flow plan (budget) for our home. There is no better tool for helping you to live within your means while being generous, and building savings while ditching debt. Let's put a stop to our country referring to us as "consumers". Consumer is a demeaning label. It means to squander and to spend wastefully. Lets get back to being looked at as "customers" instead. It's a little thing but I think it would do much to change the expectations of how we manage money. Who knows, it might lead to a day when having a healthy savings account instead of a bunch of stuff we can't afford is something we are actually applauded for. Oakbrook's Financial Ministry exist to help you be a good steward of the resources God has given to you. If we can assist you with preparing a budget or answer any financial questions you might have, please contact me at karl@oakbrookchurch.com.   Dollars and Sense 2012-01-30T15:39:58+00:00 http://www.oakbrookchurch.com//blog/entry/monday_morning_recap_january_23 http://www.oakbrookchurch.com/site/monday_morning_recap_january_23/#When:13:10:45Z WOW! What a fantastic weekend at Oakbrook! I am so thankful for the influence of Dr. Dave and Donalyn this weekend. Dr. Dave posted the following words on his Facebook page yesterday: What a Day in Kokomo!!!! This morning between 110-120 people responded publicly recommitting their lives to Jesus Christ. They were wanting God to be the center of their lives and homes. Then tonight, 25-30 young people responded as well and prayed right there with youth staff - many of these decisions were first time decisions to invite Jesus into their lives. Thank you Lord for being alive and well in this ministry. Yesterday's FUSION was powerful too. Over 1/3 of the couples rededicated their marriages to the Lord putting Him at the center. Join us in gratitude to God for His clear moving in people's lives... His words capture the move of God among us this weekend...parents rededicating themselves to their families...marriages growing closer together...student inviting Christ into their lives...you guys it just doesn't get any better than that!! Ronda and I had the privilege of being at the Fusion 2.1 marriage conference Friday and Saturday. In our 28 years of marriage Fusion 2.1 was one of the most influential and insightful things we have ever experienced together. It was so good for our marriage. Together we made a commitment that our best days are ahead of us! And with the insights we learned at Fusion 2.1 we are so excited for what God has in store for us! I'm so thankful for a church the provides these life changing experiences for us! Pray for the Curries today as they travel and pray that God will continue to use them in great ways as they serve him. 2 more things: Leadership Community this Sunday night at 6pm in the Warehouse. If you are a part of our core ministry team then please do whatever you have to do to be there. I'm going to share all kinds of exciting vision that is in our future as a church. I can't wait to tell you about it!! There will be music, a story from a girl that will move you and of course popcorn. So please be there you guys-get a baby sitter-clear your calendar. 40 Days in the Word starts Feb. 12. Get ready for one of the most life transforming experiences Oakbrook has ever had! In order for this experience to have it's full impact on you-YOU MUST BE IN A SMALL GROUP! So sign up next Sunday and we will get you in a group for the 40 days. Love Doing Church with You Guys! Mark   Monday Morning Recap 2012-01-23T13:10:45+00:00 http://www.oakbrookchurch.com//blog/entry/monday_morning_recap_january_16 http://www.oakbrookchurch.com/site/monday_morning_recap_january_16/#When:13:59:20Z Hey everybody. Hope your week is off to a great start. Say it with me: Andy Stanley-clap,clap,clap,clap,clap...Andy Stanley-clap,clap,clap,clap,clap! That was some great teaching we experienced. Truth that will protect you from major regret down the road. If you weren't there here are some of my notes: Flee, Baby, Flee! The talk was about establishing sexual guardrails in your life and centered around the truth found in I Corinthians 6:18-19. Married Guardrails: Don't travel alone with members of the opposite sex.Don't eat alone with members of the opposite sex.Don't hire cute members of the opposite sex because you want to help them.Don't confide in or counsel members of the opposite sex.When you feel your heart or desires drifting toward a specific someone tell someone. Single Guardrails: Gouge your eyes with a spoon (just kidding).Apply married guardrails with married people (see above).No sleepovers.Take a relationship break. This talk was a good set up for Fusion 2.1 One Day Marriage Conference with Dr. Dave Curry. If you haven't registered yet you can easily by going here... http://www.oakbrookchurch.com/marriageconference. Please join me in praying that God will use this weekend in a powerful way!Here's the schedule for the weekend: Friday Night Date Night with Dr. Curry and his wife. 7pm at Oakbrook-Free and Fun! Saturday-One Day Marriage Conference-8:30am-4:00PM-$50.00 per couple-Lunch included. Sunday Morning 9am & 11am-Dr. Curry will be speaking at Oakbrook weekend experiences. Topic: Passing on Your Faith Sunday Night-Dr. Curry will be speaking at InsideOut (Student Ministry) One more thing: All Volunteers and Small Group Members-LEADERSHIP COMMUNITY Jan. 29th-6pm in The Warehouse. Make it a great week of influence! Love Doing Church with You Guys! Mark   Monday Morning Recap 2012-01-16T13:59:20+00:00 http://www.oakbrookchurch.com//blog/entry/monday_morning_recap_january_9 http://www.oakbrookchurch.com/site/monday_morning_recap_january_9/#When:18:57:24Z Wow...I still can’t can’t get over all this sunshine and warmer temps! I saw several people on the golf course yesterday. Enjoy it while we can!   Hope your week is off to a productive start. I really enjoyed the fantastic teaching we received yesterday from Andy Stanley. I watched that talk 3 times and each time I learned something new. Praying that all of us will make wise relational choices as we continue to pursue Christ Centeredness.   If you haven’t registered yet for Fusion 2.1-A One Day Marriage Conference with Dr. Dave Currie I strongly encourage you to come. If you are in a small group encourage your entire group to attend together. Know some friends who could use insight, encouragement in their marriage? Invite them. Help us get the word out about this much needed event and please join me in praying for this influential experience. You can register online here: http://www.oakbrookchurch.com/marriageconference    As we all head into the new year with a desire to grow and improve and ran across this in a blog I follow. Hope it inspires you like it did me...enjoy.    21 RANDOM WAYS TO MAKE 2012 A BETTER YEAR Here are some random changes you can make to help make 2012 a better year: 1.  Believe the best about people. Make trust your default, not suspicion. 2.  Be on time. Great leaders are rarely late. 3.  Under promise and over deliver. Our tendency is to do the opposite.

4.  Stop blaming people. Just stop.  Your will start taking responsibility for yourself as a result. 5. Pray for your enemies. You will forgive them…and they will not be your enemies for long. 6.  Review the week ahead on Sunday night for ten minutes. Monday won’t seem nearly as intimidating 7.  Get up earlier. The early bird actually usually does get the worm. 8. Go to bed earlier. Stop falling asleep on the couch. 9.  Read the bible. Read at least 3 verses of scripture every morning, more if you’re up to it. 10. Never say “I don’t have the time.” Instead, say “I’m not going to make the time.”   It will change how you see time…and priorities. 11.  Smile. Most people look moderately unhappy most of the time. 12.  Clean your personal space. A clean desk, car or office makes you feel better about yourself. 13.  Give 10%.  Give away the first tenth of everything you make.  You’ll be surprised at how liberating this is. 14.  Pay cash (as in bills in your wallet) for discretionary items. You will spend less and save more. 15.  Exercise.  Enough said.  Just get moving. 16.  Do something for yourself everyday. People who care for themselves are better at caring for others. 17.  Read outside your area of interest. Apps like Zite and Flipboard even make this so easy. 18.  Automate what’s important. Schedule appointments with yourself for what matters.  Automatically take savings and givings out of your bank accounts. 19. Serve somewhere. People who serve others live longer and are happier. 20.  Show up prepared. Whether it’s a meeting or simply coming home, prepare yourself before you show up.  Play. Most of us have forgotten how to play.  Rediscover it. Have a great week everyone! Don’t just talk about it, be about it! Love Doing Church with You Guys! Mark Monday Morning Recap 2012-01-09T18:57:24+00:00 http://www.oakbrookchurch.com//blog/entry/monday_morning_recap_january_2 http://www.oakbrookchurch.com/site/monday_morning_recap_january_2/#When:18:07:43Z Happy New Year & happy snowy morning everyone! First of all, how about all those incredible volunteers and staff that pulled off three amazing Christmas services? (insert uproarious clapping and appreciation here) I'm always so impressed with our church's dedication and work ethic at the busiest time of year. And everyone does so with such humility and desire to see Christ lifted up! Awe inspiring. Thank you volunteers and staff! What's not to love about Andy Stanley's teaching? But never fear, Mark will be back to teach this Sunday for week 2. We'll tackle friendships, finances, marriage and more in this series. What's a guardrail?A system to keep us from straying into dangerous areas. A standard of behavior that becomes a matter of conscience. When you violate it, you feel guilty. Guardrails are all through the Bible. God, the Father, sets up protective barriers-standards to keep His children from harm. "It's not that we plan to fail; it's that we don't plan not to fail." (A guardrail is planning not to fail.) Scripture verse Ephesians 5:15-18 http://tinyurl.com/73xd56m MARRIAGE STRENGTHENING WEEKEND Let's get this on our calendar's and pick up a ticket this Sunday! http://oakbrookchurch.com/marriageconference DON'T HAVE A RESOLUTION YET?Get a free Bible reading plan at http://www.youversion.com and get into God's Word every day this year! The best resolution is anything with God at the center of it. Bless someone this week-see you Sunday! -Morgan     Monday Morning Recap 2012-01-02T18:07:43+00:00 http://www.oakbrookchurch.com//blog/entry/monday_morning_recap_12.19 http://www.oakbrookchurch.com/site/monday_morning_recap_12.19/#When:14:51:20Z Hey friends, GREAT to be with you yesterday! Or as I would say in Hebrew, great to be ImmanuMorg Our KidStuf crew delivered their last offering of 2011 to Kokomo, Taylor and Eastern schools Friday. Way to go KidStuf team and thanks to God for this amazing opportunity! Message highlights: "We are not a church committed to easy. We are a church committed to being the individual vessels through which Immanuel flows!" "Just like hardened arteries restrict the flow of blood in our bodies,A hardened heart restricts the flow of the Holy Spirit through our life." The pathway to the tender heart God hopes we all have:Christ must SAVE our heart.Christ must TEACH our heart. (Read, Reflect, Re-order)Christ must be the LORD of our heart.We must take our heart to CHURCH every week. (Sun +2) Get my complete free transcript here: http://tinyurl.com/7f3yloy Wow-Christmas services SOLD OUT! We currently have 99 people on a waiting list for tickets! If you have unused tickets please bring them in ASAP 9-5 today or tomorrow! Call Shelia Miller with questions 765.455.1100Come even if you don't have a ticket, we've added plenty of additional seating.  Jason Braun cornea transplant update: Today his eye is barely achy and his back is doing better. As Brigit told me, "He IS going to the kids' Christmas program tonight if I have to get him a wheel chair and an eye patch!" So let's keep praying Jason back to 100% health! We're taking our year-end offering at the Christmas service-can't wait to see the outpouring of our church's generosity once again! Sandra and I turned in our card and we're thankful for what God has allowed us to do. If you're not sure what to contribute, pray; God will answer! Pray for God to move in powerful ways through our Christmas service-God with us! Love you guys! -Morganwww.morgancafe.com   Monday Morning Recap 2011-12-19T14:51:20+00:00 http://www.oakbrookchurch.com//blog/entry/monday_morning_recap_12.12 http://www.oakbrookchurch.com/site/monday_morning_recap_12.12/#When:16:07:40Z Merry Christmas Everybody! Hope your week is off to a good start. What great experiences God gave us yesterday at Oakbrook we move one Sunday closer to Christmas Day. Stay focused in these final 2 weeks-stay in His Word-rediscover the amazing nature of the Christmas story-be generous with your contribution to the Year End Offering. Christmas Tickets are moving well. Looks like Friday night is the most popular night so far. Once again-if you have tickets that your not going to use please get them turned in asap so they can be redistributed. It is our desire to never turn anyone away from these events so please help us. Keep praying about who you can bring with you to these services. Then give them a call or email them and ask them to join you. That one invitation could change someone's life for all of eternity! Our prayers and love go out to the Dunn family this week. Jesse Dunn walked into heaven last Friday evening! He will be greatly missed at Oakbrook. Please pray for Norma and the Dunn family this week. Asks God to surround them with peace and comfort. Also remember to lift up Karl Stoneking in prayer as he prepares to lead Jesses funeral. One more prayer request...Jason Braun will be having surgery on his eye this Wednesday afternoon at 4pm. He will be having a cornea replacement-pray that all things go well! Have a great week! Love Doing Church with You Guys! Mark     Monday Morning Recap 2011-12-12T16:07:40+00:00 http://www.oakbrookchurch.com//blog/entry/monday_morning_recap12.5 http://www.oakbrookchurch.com/site/monday_morning_recap12.5/#When:19:00:52Z Hey everybody. Hope your week if off to a good start. I heard we have distributed around 600 tickets so far for the Christmas Services-God With us! I'm really looking forward to the Christmas experience this year. You are going to really enjoy it! Tickets will be available at each weekend service between now and the actual services or you can get them online here...http://www.oakbrookchurch.com/GodWithUs. Take as many as you need just make sure you use them all. If you by chance take more than you need please turn them back in so we can re-distribute them. Thanks for your help on this. So...who are you bringing with you this Christmas? Friends? Family? Co-workers? Classmates? Join me in praying that God will draw thousands of people to the God With Us experience. Don't forget to use the invite cards we handed out Sunday as a tool to invite. Over the years we have heard so many stories of how God used a holiday invitation to begin someones journey into a personal relationship with Christ. Pray that this same thing will happen in the life of someone you invite! Don't miss this Sunday! We will be continuing the series-The Baby is Proof. And I will be sharing the vision behind our year-end offering. This is the time of year where we put feet to our faith. The idea here is that as we buy gifts for other people, we want our largest, most extravagant gift to go to Jesus. Read this today...‎ "Keeping Christ in Christmas isn't the responsibility of Target & WalMart, it's the responsibility of those who have Christ in them." -Clayton Bell. Make it a great week by doing that! Love Doing Church with You Guys! Mark   2011-12-05T19:00:52+00:00 http://www.oakbrookchurch.com//blog/entry/monday_morning_recap11.28 http://www.oakbrookchurch.com/site/monday_morning_recap11.28/#When:15:44:16Z Wow. So good to be back with the Oakbrook family yesterday! And how ironic that a gunshot wound was virtually no trouble and yet a common COLD about wiped me out yesterday! Here's the message recap:The Baby Jesus is proof that God is Big, but not too Big. He's big enough to be our rescue, salvation, strength, peace, provision etc. But as He took on flesh, He walked in our shoes. We can relate with Him. He wants to know us and for us to know Him. His is Big, but not too big for us to have an intimate relationship with. So as we ramp into Christmas will our focus be:A four week shopping trip?Or an intimate relationship? Let's all draw close to this not too big God these next 4 weeks by: Reading thru the daily YouVersion Bible plan "Rediscover the Christmas Season"Here's the link to it http://tinyurl.com/273u9lr Figuring out how you and your family or friends can do something for people OUTSIDE of your friends and family this season. Find a way to help someone in need.(Hint: there were 3 things in Sun's bulletin!) Let's ensure the lives we lead this holiday season reflect our Big but not too big God! CHRISTMAS SERVICES!Dec 21, 22, 23 7pm. FREE tickets required (avail next wk). Start inviting NOW. We've made it easy to share this with your friends via Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr & Email right here: http://oakbrookchurch.com/GodWithUs Today, read day 1 of our YouVersion reading plan! Love you guys,Morgan   Monday Morning Recap 2011-11-28T15:44:16+00:00 http://www.oakbrookchurch.com//blog/entry/monday_morning_recap11.21 http://www.oakbrookchurch.com/site/monday_morning_recap11.21/#When:14:35:14Z What an an amazing day at Oakbrook yesterday! Thanks to everyone who came to show your love and support to our Haiti team. Who would have ever thought in the grand story of God that he would include a chapter like this for our church? Unbelievable. I can't wait to see how God continues to uses this experience for his glory! As we start this week of Thanksgiving we have so much to be thankful for: A team that is home safe with their families and friends.Injuries that were not fatal.The power of God showing up in our team during this horrific experience.The unbelievable generosity of Beck Hybrids.The outpouring of prayers and support from our community.Positive news coverage of this event. This new platform that God has given us to tell the world how amazing He is!A God who literally saved the day! Lets continue to pray. Pray for complete healing as our team continues to process this experience.Pray for God's peace to cover our team.Pray for the country of Haiti.Pray for missionaries Arthur and Becky Spalding as they continue to serve at Double Harvest.Pray for the 6 attackers that God would draw them to himself. "You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives." Genesis 50:20 Have a great Thanksgiving everyone! Love Doing Church with You Guys, MarkP.S.  The guys are working on getting audio and possibly video up from yesterday's service.  We'll let you know what it's posted.       2011-11-21T14:35:14+00:00 http://www.oakbrookchurch.com//blog/entry/monday_morning_recap_11.14 http://www.oakbrookchurch.com/site/monday_morning_recap_11.14/#When:14:39:41Z Hey everybody! Hope your week is off to a great start. Please be praying this week for our team in Haiti. They left last Saturday and will be returning next Monday. Each evening they will be serving at an evangelistic crusade. Our team will be providing music, drama and testimonies each evening. Each day they will be going into villages sharing the gospel with Haitians. Again, lets lift them up each day in prayer! I spent the better part of last week studying the life of King David and I'm still amazed that God continued to give grace to David in light of his disobedience and sin. He tested the limits of God's grace more than anyone. And yet God continued to keep his promises to David...amazing...only God! Remember this week...the promise of God's grace is not anchored in one's behavior, grace is anchored in the character of God. As one who is in constant need of God's grace I'm so thankful for this truth. Don't forget the Food Drive this Sunday!!! And make sure you hand out that invite card this week! Make it a great week. Love Doing Church With You Guys! Mark   Monday Morning Recap 2011-11-14T14:39:41+00:00 http://www.oakbrookchurch.com//blog/entry/monday_morning_recap_11.7 http://www.oakbrookchurch.com/site/monday_morning_recap_11.7/#When:13:02:54Z Hope everybody had a great weekend. God gave us another great weekend of impact and worship at Oakbrook! Big thanks to all the amazing volunteers that make our experiences happen week in and week out-we could not do church without you guys! How awesome was it to watch Tanner get baptized? So proud of him for going public with his faith in Christ and for serving our country in the Marines! Way to go Tanner! We are moving into a season of ministry where people who don't normally come to church are more open to coming so I want to remind you of one of our core values: We Reach Out. We are about creating environments that are engaging to those who don't know Jesus yet. That's the reason we do church. We will create environments that boldly celebrate Jesus and attract people far from God. We can't help but invite others into the movement because it's everything to us. We will make bold invitations because we truly believe Jesus is the hope of the world. Now is the time to make bold invitations! We have invitation cards you can use to get the word out to your friends about Oakbrook. Here's a challenge-try to give out 1 invitation card each week between now and Christmas. You never know what God will do through a simple invitation. 98% of those who come to Oakbrook came through the invitation of a friend! We had a great time at Leadership Community last night. Big thanks to Greg Rhees for sharing his story of how God is using him to minister to people in our community! How might God use you to be the church in your world of influence?? At Oakbrook we don't just attend church-we are the church whatever we are! Be praying this week for a group of our people that are leaving Saturday for a week of ministry in Haiti. They will be involved in a week long evangelistic crusade helping with music, drama, sharing their stories and sharing the gospel. Lets lift them up! Make it a great week everybody! Love Doing Church With You Guys, Mark   Monday Morning Recap 2011-11-07T13:02:54+00:00 http://www.oakbrookchurch.com//blog/entry/monday_morning_recap_10.31 http://www.oakbrookchurch.com/site/monday_morning_recap_10.31/#When:11:52:03Z What an incredible day at Oakbrook! The All Things New experience was amazing!! Check out what people said about hte experience on Twitter: "The worship service tonight was nothing short of epic.  I am happy to call @oakbrookchurch my home <3" "So blown away by @oakbrookchurch tonight.  I'm crazy honored to be a part of this family of God." "What an amazing time of worship tonight!  To God be the Glory for all the talent to lead us straight to His throne..." "Powerful time of worship tonight @oakbrookchurch.  Praise God!  So thankful for new beginnings and grace." "@oakbrookchurch WOW!!!!! Tonight was simply mind blowing!!!!  So much talent... so much POWER under one roof!!!!! #epic" "HE is making us new.  HE is making all things new.  Way to go @oakbrookchurch... You brought it tonight!!!! #Jesus" I could not express it any better. So honored and humbled to be a small part of the amazing story God is writting through our church. Thanks to everyone who led us so well into the presence of God last night!  To God be the Glory! Have a great week everyone. Love doing church with you guys!!! Mark Monday Morning Recap 2011-10-31T11:52:03+00:00 http://www.oakbrookchurch.com//blog/entry/monday_morning_recap_10.24 http://www.oakbrookchurch.com/site/monday_morning_recap_10.24/#When:15:45:44Z Hey Nine's and Eleven's. First of all don't believe anything the other service says that I said about you It's always great to kid with you and to delve deeply into God's Word with you all within 30 minutes. I love that Oakbrook is a place we can laugh and learn. (Just for the record, I totally love Jason Braun and Canadians Andy Stanley's new book is a killer read (like that's surprising). It's called "The Grace of God." This series is based on it and you'd love it. Snag it in our own Lakeside Books. Message highlights: We're a justice culture. "Because he did that, he deserves this." Grace says, "Because we did that, we don't deserve this, but we get it anyway." It's always been about grace from the first sentence of the Bible; it's threaded through it from Genesis to Revelation. You can read the 7 minute Bible overview in my transcript here: http://tinyurl.com/6gnrsya(Scroll down, it's highlighted in BLUE starting on pg 4) "God cleans up what we mess up." But that doesn't mean it's all grace.It's law AND grace. We strive to stay within God's laws, but when we blow it, there's grace. Matthew 5:17-20 http://tinyurl.com/6ap2q73 Couple big things this coming Sunday: • Coat drive for people in need • "All Things New" Worship Concert and CD Recording Project http://tinyurl.com/3hku88p We are God's covenant people that He wants to use to change the world. So bless someone outside the faith this week. And bless someone inside the faith this week. We are a people on mission for Christ! See you Sunday, -Morgan   Monday Morning Recap 2011-10-24T15:45:44+00:00 http://www.oakbrookchurch.com//blog/entry/monday_morning_recap_10.17 http://www.oakbrookchurch.com/site/monday_morning_recap_10.17/#When:12:27:38Z What an unforgettable experience God gave us yesterday through Mike Bolinger's story! Yesterdays experience will go down as one of my favorites in my run at Oakbrook. Mike did such a tremendous job teaching us that what really matters in life is God, family, friends and the plan God has for our lives. If you were there yesterday I know you were moved and I encourage you to respond. You only have one life-make it count while you have the time! Let's keep Mike and Lynn in our prayers as they continue this journey. If you would like to send Mike a note of encouragement here is his address: Mike Bolinger1530 W Taylor StKokomo, IN 46901 I know he would love hearing how his words impacted you! New Series Starts This Sunday! Grace-the stories in scripture mirror our own stories, we too need the very thing we do not deserve: The Grace of God. God is going to do great things in and through us during this series. Get ready! Check it out here...http://www.oakbrookchurch.com/grace 2 Important Dates: Oct. 30th. All Things New Worship Concert. Come and worship our great God! Details here-http://www.oakbrookchurch.com/allthingsnew Nov. 6th. Leadership Community. This will be our 2nd gathering of all small group leaders and volunteers. I will be revealing some new vision for the future! Popcorn provided! Make it a great week everybody! Love Doing Church with You Guys! Mark   Monday Morning Recap 2011-10-17T12:27:38+00:00 http://www.oakbrookchurch.com//blog/entry/monday_morning_recap_10.10 http://www.oakbrookchurch.com/site/monday_morning_recap_10.10/#When:12:38:06Z Hey everybody. Hope your week is off to a great start. What a great experience God gave us yesterday at Oakbrook as we closed out the c2 series. Celebrating communion together was such a fitting way to conclude the series. Here are the c2 prayers I taught yesterday. Make them a part of your conversations with God this week. Movement 1: God Reveal Yourself to Me (Jeremiah 29:13) God Teach Me (Psalm 25:4-5) Movement 2: God Become Greater in Me (John 3:30) God Give Me a Spiritual Mentor Movement 3: God Take My Life (Galatians 2:20) God Use Me These prayers will move you toward c2! Please be praying for Mike Bolinger this week as he prepares to speak to us next Sunday. Mike will be telling his story of lessons learned the past 3 years living with terminal cancer. Do whatever you can to invite a friend to join you next Sunday! October 30th-All Things New Worship Concert. Join us at 7pm as we worship our great God! This weeks Core Value: We Are Story Tellers. We are real people with real stories. We don't hide behind nice clothes or religious masks, we don't hide our scars or draw curtains over our broken places. We show people who we are. We tell our stories of rescue so God can use them to draw people to Himself. Make it a great week everybody! Mark   Monday Morning Recap 2011-10-10T12:38:06+00:00 http://www.oakbrookchurch.com//blog/entry/monday_morning_recap_10.3 http://www.oakbrookchurch.com/site/monday_morning_recap_10.3/#When:14:23:32Z Good day Connectors! First of all, I had the privilege of giving away 16 New Believer Bibles and praying with people who asked Jesus to redeem and lead their lives! They were from junior high to senior citizens and everyone in between. Some overcome with emotion barely controllable, some stoic. All testimonies that God is working in our midst! And answers to our collective prayer of: salvations, maturation, and movement in our church body. Our ekklesia (ek-luh-SEE-uh). Way to go to the KidStuf staff and amazing volunteers that kicked off the first one of the season Sun! And way to go parents, grandparents and relatives for going to KidStuf with your little guy or gal! Check out KidStuf the first Sunday in Oct. & Nov. Message Cliff Notes: It's not enough to have a relationships, we need CONNECTIONS (Tinker Toy e.g.) We connect through humility. In small group, mentoring & discipling, we go from relating to connecting through humility. With people far from God, we connect with them through humility. Sharing what's not together in our life. Dropping the mask. Humility between us paves the path for the Holy Spirit. Without the Holy Spirit we'll never be C2 (Christ Centered). Without the Holy Spirit working among us, our church will never reach its God-destined potential. Matthew 22:37-40 http://tinyurl.com/65rfpoy Ephesians 2:19-22 http://tinyurl.com/5tk36cs Philippians 2:7-8 http://tinyurl.com/66cnj4y Romans 3:23, 6:23, 10:13 http://tinyurl.com/5vgakyk Oh, and just for you 11 o'clockers, this is Marcel the Shell (Re: "I wish I could find an audio Bible narrated by Marcel the Shell.") http://tinyurl.com/29bktoq Always great to be with you on Sundays. Let's drop the mask in our groups this week and become CONNECTED! -Morgan PS Don't forget to mark your calendars for October 16, we'll have the privilage of hearing Mike Bolinger's incredible story.   Monday Morning Recap 2011-10-03T14:23:32+00:00 http://www.oakbrookchurch.com//blog/entry/monday_morning_recap_9.26 http://www.oakbrookchurch.com/site/monday_morning_recap_9.26/#When:12:44:50Z Welcome to another Monday everybody. Another day, another week to take the c2 journey! I will be praying for you throughout this week that God will give you a desire for more of Him. Thanks again to everyone who participated in the Fall Food Drive. Jesus said it is better to give than receive-so true! Here is some more detailed information about the Sacred Pathways I taught about yesterday. Take some time this week and explore this great truth. What is your Sacred Pathway? Check This Out.... And check this out Proud of all the Dads who attended Dad Camp making a lifelong investment into their sons. Way to go Dads! Dad Camp #3 is coming soon. This camp is for Dad's and jr. high son's and daughters. Get signed up now for a life changing weekend with your student! SIGN UP ONLINE! Kidstuf is back in the house (actually the warehouse) this Sunday at 10:15am. Parents don't miss this spiritually forming experience with your child! Oakbrook Core Value this week: We Chase Lions. We are not OK living the status quo. We believe God wants a life of influence and significance for all of us, so we won't settle, we won't hold back, and we won't back down. We will chase the Lions God has placed in front of us. We will leverage our every day life for the advancement of the Kingdom of God. Make it a great week everybody! Love Doing Church with You Guys, Mark   Monday Morning Recap 2011-09-26T12:44:50+00:00 http://www.oakbrookchurch.com//blog/entry/monday_morning_recap_9.19 http://www.oakbrookchurch.com/site/monday_morning_recap_9.19/#When:13:35:43Z Happy Monday everybody! Hope your week is off to a great start. I got up this morning early and headed downstairs to my office for a time of "intake." I read 2 more chapters in the book-Not A Fan by Kyle Idleman-great book about c2! And then I went to http://www.youversion.com and read my Bible. I have been in 2 reading plans offered on youversion. One is Rick Warrens Daily Devotional Plan. It includes a couple of verses and then Rick's comments about the verses-good stuff! And the other plan is called-Life Journal Reading Plan-it is a one year reading plan and is designed to help you read through the Old Testament once and the New Testament twice each year. youversion.com has helped me stay on track with my Bible reading and it can do the same for you! If you haven't tried it yet why not set it up today and get started? Go to youversion.com, set up an account, check out the reading plans and get started! Remember what we discovered yesterday-Bible reading and Reflection on Scripture is the most powerful spiritual practice that moves you toward c2 (vanilla ice cream). Jesus answered, It is written: ‘Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.' Matthew 4:4 Become a self-feeder this week! Do intake! Dare you to Move! Many of you asked for the titles of the books I mentioned yesterday so here they are: The Case for Christ and the Case for Faith by Lee StrobelPrimal by Mark BattersonIn A Pit With A Lion On A Snowy Day by Mark BattersonThe Jesus Creed by Scott McKnightSoul Cravings by Erwin McManusNot A Fan by Kyle Idleman You can get these books at Lakeside Books or of course online. I will be praying for you this week as you continue to take the c2 journey! Don't forget the FOOD DRIVE next Sunday. Thanks in advance for helping those who need help! Love Doing Church With You Guys! Mark   Monday Morning Recap 2011-09-19T13:35:43+00:00 http://www.oakbrookchurch.com//blog/entry/monday_morning_recap_9.121 http://www.oakbrookchurch.com/site/monday_morning_recap_9.121/#When:11:21:36Z 2 services are here! Big thanks to all the volunteers who helped pull off 2 services yesterday. That was one smooth transition! Way to go everybody. Transit our new jr. high ministry is off and running! I heard it went great-45 students showed up! The C2 journey has begun. Join the journey this week by asking God to give you a deep desire to become Christ-Centered. Here is what C2 looks like: C2 Followers make Personal Spiritual Habits a 1st Priority in Their ScheduleC2 Followers TitheC2 Followers Invest & InviteC2 Followers Live in Relationship with Other Christ FollowersC2 Followers Serve in the Church and in the CommunityC2 Followers Live a Life of Modesty and GenerosityC2 Followers Listen for God's Leadings and Obey ThemC2 Followers Move Over and Let Jesus DriveC2 Followers Produce and Display the Fruits of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22-23) May God give us a deep desire to become C2 followers. Have a great week everybody! Love Doing Church With You Guys, Mark   Monday Morning Recap 2011-09-12T11:21:36+00:00 http://www.oakbrookchurch.com//blog/entry/monday_morning_recap_8.29 http://www.oakbrookchurch.com/site/monday_morning_recap_8.29/#When:12:33:46Z What a crazy Sunday! Never in 25 years have we had the power go out on a Sunday morning. But we called an audible and made the service happen regardless. Big thanks to all the people who quickly helped set up the warehouse. I loved hearing everyones voice as we sang about our great God! Big thanks to those who couldn't find a seat and stood the entire time! And for those of you wondering if we could get done 15 minutes earlier each week-not a chance! Here are the 3 things we need to keep praying about this ministry season: 1. Pray that God will Draw People to Himself "No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them, and I will raise them up the last day." John 6:442. Pray that People will have a Hunger/Desire for C2 6 I planted the seed, Apollos watered the plants, but God made you grow. 7 It's not the one who plants or the one who waters who is at the center of this process but God, who makes things grow." 1 Corinthians 3:6-73. Pray that More People will Join the Movement! 35 Then Jesus made a circuit of all the towns and villages. He taught in their meeting places, reported kingdom news, and healed their diseased bodies, healed their bruised and hurt lives. 36 When he looked out over the crowds, his heart broke. So confused and aimless they were, like sheep with no shepherd. 37 "What a huge harvest!" he said to his disciples. "How few workers! 38 "On your knees and pray for harvest hands!" Matthew 9: 35-38 Remember-How a Church Prays Indicates Whether It Has Strayed! Have a great week everybody! Love Doing Church with You Guys, Mark   Monday Morning Recap 2011-08-29T12:33:46+00:00 http://www.oakbrookchurch.com//blog/entry/monday_morning_recap_8.22 http://www.oakbrookchurch.com/site/monday_morning_recap_8.22/#When:12:05:56Z What a full and awesome day at Oakbrook! I had a blast revealing the data from the "Reveal" survey we took a few months back. Hope you enjoyed as much as I did! One huge take away from Reveal: Personal Bible study/reflection is the most Powerful Catalyst of Spiritual Growth. So get out your Bible's this week and get into to them! Don't know where to start? Go to http://www.youversion.com and begin one of the the Bible reading plans at youversion. Big thanks to all the leaders who made it out to our 1st Leadership Community of the year! For those who didn't make it-we hope to see you next time on 11/6/10. We unpacked Oakbrook's Core Values at LC. These values define the soul of Oakbrook. I'm going to post a core value each week in this blog just to keep them in front of us. Here is the first one: We Pray First. All glory and honor is centered on the Cross of Christ. Our hope is in Jesus, so in all we do, we pray first. We rest in His power not in our own. We are nothing without Him. (John 14) Before we plan, before we dream, before we serve...WE PRAY. God's power flows through those who pray. Join me in praying for these 3 things this year: Pray that God will transform more lives this year than any other year at Oakbrook. Pray that God will give people a desire/hunger to become C2 (Christ-Centered) Pray that more people will join the "movement" that is the church. Have a great week everybody! Love Doing Church With You Guys!! Mark   Monday Morning Recap 2011-08-22T12:05:56+00:00 http://www.oakbrookchurch.com//blog/entry/monday_morning_recap_8.15 http://www.oakbrookchurch.com/site/monday_morning_recap_8.15/#When:15:35:59Z Happy Monday everybody! Hope your week is off to a good start. I love this time of the year. It feels almost like the start of "a new year." Summer is winding down, school is firing back up, football is around the corner, and people are making their way back to church. This is a great time for a fresh start! Why not? Pick up a new spiritual practice in this new season like Bible reading, consistent prayer, listening daily for God's whispers, using your spiritual giftedness to serve, join a small group. You grow when you get intentional. As we begin a new season at Oakbrook I'm praying some very specific prayers for our church: I'm praying God will transform more people this year through the power of the gospel than He has in any other year. Join me in this prayer. Pray daily for your friend(s) who need Christ. I'm praying more and more Christ followers will make Christ the CENTER of their lives. Asking God to move consumeristic followers (God what can you do for me) to Christ-CENTERED followers (God what can I do for you). Imagine if Oakbrook was full of Christ-CENTERED people!I'm praying that more and more followers will have a stronger desire for God's Word. I'm praying they will have such a strong desire for truth that they will actually read His Word daily (http://www.youversion.com).I'm praying that more of you will join the movement of the church by using the gifts God has given you to help advance the movement. Thanks to all who turned in a card yesterday! Don't forget the first Leadership Community of the year this Sunday evening at 6PM in the Warehouse. Join us for a night of worship, fun, story and vision (and the best popcorn you have ever tasted). If Oakbrook is your church be there! I need all volunteers at Leadership Community. Also, this Sunday I will be unpacking the results from the REVEAL survey Oakbrook took a few months ago. Very interesting findings about our church. Don't miss it! Lot of great experiences to engage in-check them out here-www.oakbrookchurch.com Love Doing Church With You Guys! Mark   2011-08-15T15:35:59+00:00 http://www.oakbrookchurch.com//blog/entry/monday_morning_recap_8.1 http://www.oakbrookchurch.com/site/monday_morning_recap_8.1/#When:13:17:07Z What an awesome experience at Oakbrook yesterday! Watching people get baptized is such a meaningful experience for me. Baptism always takes be back to the reason we do church. And yesterday was so meaningful watching two grandparents baptize their grandchildren! What a beautiful picture of multi-generational influence. I really enjoyed At The Movies! And for those of you who have not watched Hoosiers yet-c'mon! Let's get this done this week! Big thanks to Jimmy Rayl Jr. for telling about his experience being in the movie! Who knew this movie would become the #1 sports movie of all time! Live this week with that theme of redemption in front of you. Gives thanks for the "2nd chances" God has given you. Big Stuf Camp was BIG for our students! 14 students surrender their lives to Christ and 12 of them were baptized in the ocean. Really proud of these students! And a big thanks to Emily Hays, Curtis Stout, Joel Larison and all the adult leaders for their investment and influence. Way to go leaders! MAN DAY this Sunday. Guys-come on out Sunday afternoon 12:30-4:30pm to Oakbrook Valley for a great time of fun, connection and food. Leadership Community Aug. 21-Plan now to join us at 6PM for our first installment of Leadership Community this year. This is a gathering for all ministry leaders, volunteers and small group members. Join us as we come together to grow, cast vision, celebrate and share what God is doing through Oakbrook. If this is your church, Leadership Community is a "can't miss" experience for you! Please be praying today for Karl and Sherry Stoneking's grandson Cade. He is in ICU at Riley hospital with some heart complications and breathing challenges. Let's join together as one big church and pray all day for Cade and his parents Dane and Sue! Also, start praying for our fall run. As school starts and vacations come to an end pray that God will begin drawing people back to church. I'm asking God daily to draw more people to Christ in this run than we have ever experienced in past runs. Please pray that prayer with me. Thousands of people in Kokomo need a Savior! As always-lets not just talk about church-lets be about the mission of helping people find Christ and then learn to live like him! Love doing church with you guys! Mark     2011-08-01T13:17:07+00:00 http://www.oakbrookchurch.com//blog/entry/monday_morning_recap_july_17 http://www.oakbrookchurch.com/site/monday_morning_recap_july_17/#When:23:32:20Z Thanks so much for praying for our Alabama Mission Team this past week; can't wait to hear how God moved in their experience! Another great job by Joel, Sean and our worship team this morning. It's great to see the diversity and unity of a guy like Tory Horner, who is a vice principal at KHS playing keyboards with a high school guitarist like Brandon Hughes. So good to be led by a team that's not pulling back in these days of summer vacations; so God-honoring. It's been great fun being able to teach these last three services based on Up, Forrest Gump and Inception. Can't wait to see how Mark rounds out this series with Tron and Hoosiers. Thanks to Mariah Horner reminding me that YouVersion will actually READ the passages for you! Seriously? Does is get any EASIER than THAT? Check out http://www.YouVersion.comHere's a link to The Essential Jesus plan I'm enjoying http://tinyurl.com/3zn9ml9 Here's a link to my message transcript http://tinyurl.com/3ufzz6f Take a Next Step:Baptism July 31 http://oakbrookchurch.com/baptismDadCamps http://oakbrookchurch.com/dadcamp/ If you have a pool be sure to share the blessing and invite some people over this week-going to be a scorcher! We have a cheesy above ground-everyone welcome Be sure to tell Mark & Ronda you missed them next week! Love you guys -Morgan p.s. For the record the shirt was "Celtic Ice."     Monday Morning Recap 2011-07-17T23:32:20+00:00 http://www.oakbrookchurch.com//blog/entry/monday_morning_recap_july_10 http://www.oakbrookchurch.com/site/monday_morning_recap_july_10/#When:20:50:01Z I am so proud of our mission team going to Alabama this week! That was so good to see 30 people on stage yesterday from elementary age to senior citizens. Let’s lift this team up in prayer from the time they leave Wed. until they return Sun. night!Sadly I’ve just learned Sun’s message was timely as a parent in the Northwestern School community died unexpectedly Saturday. God doesn’t promise a “why,” He does promise to be with us and guide us through everything. Prayers go out to everyone touched by this shocking loss.I hope you make some time to read about Paul this week—what a great example he is to us. We’re putting Scripture references in the bulletin to help you dive into the Word on a regular basis and learn on your own:Acts 9:1-31, Acts 21:27-22:33, Acts 23:12-15, Acts 27:27-44, Acts 28:3, Acts 20:24, 2 Corinthians 12:8-10. And John 16:33BAPTISM July 31. Signup online http://oakbrookchurch.com/baptismINFLUENCE: Got a friend who maybe isn’t into church yet? Invite them to be part of our Golf Tourney Aug 28. Sign up Sun in the Village, $50 per person—proceeds feed local children w/Buddy Bag Program.How are you influencing people in need or those who don’t know Christ this summer?See you this Sun. as we see what biblical truth we can draw from the movie “Inception.” Looking forward it!-Morgan 2011-07-11T20:50:01+00:00 http://www.oakbrookchurch.com//blog/entry/monday_morning_recap_june_20 http://www.oakbrookchurch.com/site/monday_morning_recap_june_20/#When:13:20:47Z I hope all the Dad's had a great day yesterday! Oakbrook is full of Dad's who do an amazing job investing into their kids. Way to go guys! I had a great afternoon with my family enjoying some great food, watching the U.S. Open and of course being Batman's sidekick...Robin the boy wonder! Check this out-Mason bought me this shirt for Fathers Day! I am now officially Robin! Here are the scriptures we looked at in Pt. 3 of Open Skies. Take some time this week and read them. Exodus 17, Romans 8:33-34, James 5:16-18. How amazing is it that when we intercede for someone in prayer-Jesus intercedes right along side us! I still can't get over how awesome that is!! Make this week a week of intercessory prayer. Pray for your family, pray for those you love, pray for those you want to influence and as you pray-know the The Son of God is interceding with you! We are really excited about the new series starting July 3-At The Movies. Get ready to discover some serious truth in these Hollywood hits! http://www.oakbrookchurch.com/atthemovies. This is a great series to invite your friends who don't go to church. It's summer time so why not invite some friends to Oakbrook and then have them over for a cook-out. The Global Leadership Summit is taking place August 11-12. 2 days of fantastic teaching and learning from some of the sharpest leaders in the world! Join our staff team for a life changing experience. Sign up here...http://www.oakbrookchurch.com/leadership_summit_2011 This Sunday we conclude the Open Skies series and I'm stoked already! Imagine what could happen if we as a church started praying as one great big voice. What if prayer ruled the air at Oakbrook? If your in town this weekend-don't miss this final week of Open Skies. As always...Don't Just Talk About Prayer-Be About Prayer! Love Doing Church With You Guys! Mark-The Boy Wonder   Monday Morning Recap 2011-06-20T13:20:47+00:00 http://www.oakbrookchurch.com//blog/entry/monday_morning_recap_june_6 http://www.oakbrookchurch.com/site/monday_morning_recap_june_6/#When:13:05:00Z Hey everybody! I walked away from church yesterday with a deep sense of joy and satisfaction inside of me. What an amazing experience! I have been in ministry for awhile now and I'm still amazed at how God draws people to himself. The stories from those who got baptized yesterday reminded me that God is always at work! A grandmother faithfully prays for years that her grandson (a self-proclaiming atheist) will someday find Christ...and he does! A daughters father passes away and while she is going through his belongings she finds a book called "The Purpose Driven Life" begins reading it and discovers Christ! Amazing stories...only God! So thankful we as a church get to witnesses these amazing stories of God doing what only he can do! As I said yesterday I'm really excited about the Open Skies series. Imagine if you became a person who doesn't just talk about prayer or thinks prayer is important-imagine if you actually prayed. Start praying today all throughout your day! Pray Continually (I Thessalonians 5: 16-18) Pray Completely (Philippians 4:6-7) Pray Honestly (Matthew 6:5; 7-8) Pray Quietly (Psalm 46:10) All throughout your days this week simply talk to God. He can't wait to hear from you! If you haven't taken a look at The Big 6 Great Date Experience check it out here...http://www.oakbrookchurch.com/greatdate. Download this months experience and have some fun with your spouse or date! This is awesome stuff...seriously! Summertime is a great time to do some reading. And no better book to read than the Bible. Here is an amazing tool to help you get more into your Bible this summer...http://www.oakbrookchurch.com/bible. I'm going to start giving you a weekly challenge in these blog posted so here is this week's challenge: Take a "prayer walk" this week. And as you walk spend the 1st half of the walk talking to God and the 2nd half listening to God. Make it a great week and DJTAIBAI! Love Doing Church With You Guys, Mark   Monday Morning Recap 2011-06-06T13:05:00+00:00 http://www.oakbrookchurch.com//blog/entry/monday_morning_recap_05.23 http://www.oakbrookchurch.com/site/monday_morning_recap_05.23/#When:16:12:38Z Another great Sunday experience at Oakbrook yesterday! The Solution series has been a great challenge for me personally and I like the tension it is creating in me. I always sit down in the front of the auditorium and yesterday my view was seriously obstructed by all the bags of food that people brought in to donate to local food pantry's! Big thanks to all who donated food to help re-stock our local food pantries!! Saturday morning I got up early and headed downtown to help plant flowers. This was one of the Love Week opportunities. Everyone planting flowers either worked downtown or owned a business downtown so I got asked more than once, "Why are you doing this?" It was fun telling people that Oakbrook was going out this weekend to help and serve and love on our community. Way to go everyone who participated in these projects! Also, a big thanks to Lee Southwell and Jason Braun for organizing Love Week. So I want you to live with these questions this week until you take action on them: What do you need to change in your life, your schedule, so that you will practice compassion on a regular basis?What do you need to do to be intentional about making compassion a regular part of your lifestyle? Set aside some time this week and read these verses-I John 3:16-17, Proverbs 19:17, Proverbs 28:27, Proverbs 21:13, James 1:27, James 1:22-25. Then pray and ask God how he wants you to practice compassion on a regular basis in your life. Also, don't forget to check out www.kiva.org. You could change the world with a $25 donation! Be praying for Sam and Sarah Burke this week as they prepare to move to Saginaw, MI for the next ministry assignment God has for them. This weekend will be there last in Kokomo so keep them in your prayers as they pack and prepare to move. Also, pray that their house will sell! We are very thankful for their influence at Oakbrook and excited for their future! Thanks again to everyone who is helping us be The Solution!! Have a great week. And as always...don't just talk about it, be about it! Love Doing Church With You Guys, Mark P.S. Just got word we received a $5000 gift to build a well with charitywater.org. Yay God!!!!!!!   Monday Morning Recap 2011-05-23T16:12:38+00:00 http://www.oakbrookchurch.com//blog/entry/monday_morning_recap_05.16 http://www.oakbrookchurch.com/site/monday_morning_recap_05.16/#When:18:07:20Z Happy Monday, church! This is one of those great Mondays; one where we're saying to all our friends, "You should have been there-it was so incredible!" I was so rocked by the story and testimony of Scott Harrison, a former New York City night club promoter who's now promoting a way to get clean water all over the world. From an intoxicated life, to intoxicating life change. Only God... Watch a clip from his talk http://tinyurl.com/63lsco8His bio & Charity: Water website http://tinyurl.com/yjjacxl And I am SO PROUD of our KidStuf staff and volunteers! Friday morning they finished up their KidStuf-in-Schools season by hosting Kokomo Center and Taylor schools. They even shared the stage with special guests: Mayor Greg Goodnight, Police Chief Rob Baker, and Kokomo Schools Superintendent Jeff Hauswald. They then turned around and ended their season Sunday at Oakbrook-whew! This crew has put in a ton of hours and impacted thousands of children in Howard County with biblical virtues. God has used this team to shape the youth of our community. Only God...See pics of Friday's KidStuf at Oakbrook http://tinyurl.com/65rn3nf KUDOS:Thanks to us rolling up our sleeves, we surpassed their goal and donated over 50 pints of blood to the American Red Cross. Way to go church! OPPORTUNITIES:You can still get involved in a LOVE WEEK project and make a physical impact in our community http://oakbrookchurch.com/love_week Need to relax and enjoy a great evening with your significant other? Date Nite this Friday with comedians Barnes & Miner at Oakbrook. http://oakbrookchurch.com/datenight2011Know a couple that may not say yes to Sunday morning church? Maybe they'll come and laugh with you. THIS WEEK: 1) Everyone bring a tithe to church this Sunday (10% of your income). We'll put that money into play with a clean water well and other blessings for those in need internationally and locally. 2) Bring a bag of food for the food drive this Sunday. We are a church that feeds local hunger. "...For everyone to whom much is given, from him (her) much will be required..." Luke 12:48 Dig Into the Word:Login to http://www.youversion.com and type in the word "Generous" in the upper right corner. You can then read all the Bible passages about living the generous life God calls us to. WE are the SOLUTION! -Morgan   Monday Morning Recap 2011-05-16T18:07:20+00:00 http://www.oakbrookchurch.com//blog/entry/monday_morning_recap_04.11 http://www.oakbrookchurch.com/site/monday_morning_recap_04.11/#When:20:14:53Z WOW-nothing like baptisms and worship to make your whole week, is there?! Way to go to everyone who stepped into the waters Sunday-and way to go everyone along the way who had a hand in that happening! Here are some pics of it:http://tinyurl.com/3wbnh75 Such a big portion of our faith is SHARING it. Michael Kelsey and Easter are two monster opportunities to invite those in our relational worlds. Wouldn't you love to hear this: "My first experience was a Michael Kelsey concert at church...and now months later, I'm getting baptized..."http://oakbrookchurch.com/michael_kelsey_in_concerthttp://oakbrookchurch.com/Rescue I mentioned Sunday that you should read Hebrews 8:6-9:28 as it talks about old covenants and the New Covenant. Here's the link to that passage:http://tinyurl.com/4x8zpsf I really appreciate how our creative teams change things up around here: great unplugged band sound and a fresh reworked version of Jars of Clay's "Worlds Apart" following Karl's dramatic piece-way to go teams! ("Worlds Apart" was released in 1995! Where's the time going?!) On a personal note, in this "Doctrine" series, I've been reminded that it's not what I know about God, but how what I know plays out in my life that really matters. It's easy to "know," but harder to put what I know into practice. What's hitting you in this series so far? See you Friday at Michael Kelsey! -Morgan   Monday Morning Recap 2011-04-10T20:14:53+00:00 http://www.oakbrookchurch.com//blog/entry/monday_morning_recap_04.04 http://www.oakbrookchurch.com/site/monday_morning_recap_04.04/#When:10:54:28Z Nothing says Spring Break like KOKOMO! I'll be seeing you fellow Florida-challenged people around our city this week A huge "way to go" to the people who stood up Sunday morning after accepting Christ! Next step: BAPTISM! If you are in a relationship with Christ, this Sun is your next step (literally) stepping into the baptismal waters! http://oakbrookchurch.com/baptism   I just checked with IUK and they'll let you test out of Latin 101 if you were at church Sunday Here's Sun's message recap in 3 points: 1) God loved us so much He created us in His image: Imago Dei (eh-mah-go Day) 2) God loved us so much that He sent His Son to save us. We're saved by faith alone: Sola Fide (soul-uh fee day) 3) God loved us so much He called us to live 100% of our life before the face of God: Coram Deo (core ‘em day-oh) Which means:In the PRESENCE of God Under the AUTHORITY of God By the WORD of God To the GLORY of God We're mirrors, not cups:"...man reflects, like a mirror, the wisdom, righteousness, and goodness of God...this is our highest perfection and blessedness to bear (reflect) the image of God." -John Calvin Let's all make it a priority to get into our Bibles on a daily basis. It's impossible to live "by the word of God" without being IN the Word of God! Heck-be a trend setter and bring it to church next Sun when I unpack "God Pursues." Have a great Spring Break week. Wherever you are this week, live Coram Deo! Great being with you Sunday mornings Morganwww.morgancafe.com     Monday Morning Recap 2011-04-04T10:54:28+00:00 http://www.oakbrookchurch.com//blog/entry/monday_morning_recap_03.28 http://www.oakbrookchurch.com/site/monday_morning_recap_03.28/#When:17:57:10Z Way to go to everyone who built into their marriage this weekend by experiencing the Love and Respect seminar Friday & Saturday-200+ in attendance! Sandra and I got a lot out of it and plan to discuss it more in depth tomorrow evening. I don't know about you but perhaps Mark should get on cold meds every week As a fellow teacher, I know there's nothing like trying to unpack the Trinity in 30 minutes-but what a great job he did with it! Here's the highlights. The Trinity reveals:How BIG God is and how small we are...yet He still cares about us.That God is relational.That life is both unified and diverse.That life is submissive. By the way, that was Renee Robertson singing and playing piano yesterday-what a sweet spirit and voice she's been blessed with. And what a great experience of being led by our entire worship team yesterday! TAKE A NEXT STEP: Thanks for the small groups that have helped clean the building the last 6 months. Now we need to cover the spring-summer schedule. Sign up Sun am in the Village. Michael Kelsey is here Fri. April 15 for just $7. This is totally a "bring a friend" opportunity.http://oakbrookchurch.com/michael_kelsey_in_concert Baptism in two weeks. Mark talked about submission; that's what this is all about, friends. If you're in a relationship with Christ, God calls us into the waters, period. http://oakbrookchurch.com/baptism Two Easter services 9 & 11 am April 24. Check out the cool ways you can share this info electronically: http://oakbrookchurch.com/Rescue   Remember, God is HUGE, we are small but He's still crazy about us! See you Sunday for more Doctrine-Morgan   Monday Morning Recap <iframe> </body> </html>     Monday Morning Recap 2011-03-28T17:57:10+00:00 http://www.oakbrookchurch.com//blog/entry/monday_morning_recap_03.21 http://www.oakbrookchurch.com/site/monday_morning_recap_03.21/#When:14:09:17Z Happy Monday Everybody! The recent warmer temperatures are feeling good. Looks like it is going to get cold again later this week but spring is definitely here! The reality of God is so evident during spring. Thoughts from yesterday... All of us need a Paul, someone who believes in us, and all of us need a Timothy, someone that we believe in. Be a Paul to someone. And if you are a Timothy ask God to give you a Paul. I Timothy 4:15, Titus 2:3-5, Psalm 145;4,6; I Thessalonians 2:8...reflect on these verse this week. Hoping and praying Oakbrook is a church full of people believing in each other! Who are you believing in-do they know how much you believe in them? Love and Respect Conference this Friday and Saturday! You can still sign up for this life changing experience. Details and registration here...http://loveandrespect.com/events/details/790 New series starts this Sunday...Doctrine-What Christians Should Believe. As we approach Easter Sunday we are going to uncover some amazing truth about our great God. Starts this Sunday. Make plans to join us in The Warehouse on Friday April 15 for an evening of great music with Michael Kelsey. Michael is one of the most unique, amazing musicians you will ever have the pleasure of experiencing. Grab a group of your friends and join us for an unforgettable evening! Get tickets here...http://www.oakbrookchurch.com/michael_kelsey_in_concert Good Friday and Easter are quickly approaching! This year Oakbrook will be offering 3 experiences to remember and celebrate the death and resurrection of Christ. More information this Sunday. It has been so good to have Jason Braun back with us the past 2 Sundays! His eye is slowly healing so please keep him in your prayers. My grandson Mason is with us today. He just told me it's time to put my computer away and play Batman! Mason is Batman, I'm Robin, Ronda is Batgirl and Mollie (our chocolate lab) is Cat-woman. Let the fun begin! Make it a great week you guys! Love Doing Church with You Guys! Mark   2011-03-21T14:09:17+00:00 http://www.oakbrookchurch.com//blog/entry/monday_morning_recap_03.07 http://www.oakbrookchurch.com/site/monday_morning_recap_03.07/#When:15:26:41Z One reason I like our church is that I don't have to wear my glad rags Sunday morning I want to thank the Williams' for sharing their story with us yesterday. It's amazing how God uses a story like theirs to breathe hope into untold marriages. And I am confident that whoever has the courage to seek God in a challenging marriage will find healing and health. And what an honor to lock arms and pray with individuals and couples after the service. God is so good! Let's be a church that reclaims the meaning of the word "vow" - sacred and binding. Our marriage is like a highway we're traveling on. If we believe a vow is something we can break, It creates an off ramp we can easily take. Hey--we meditated on Scripture yesterday! Try doing it more and more. "His love was not cautious but extravagant. He didn't love in order to get something from us but to give everything of Himself to us. Love like that." Ephesians 5:2 The Message Sandra and I are attending the Love & Respect conference at Oakbrook Fri & Sat March 25 & 26. Love to see you there. http://oakbrookchurch.com/love_respect_conference Big props to the KidStuf Crew that pulled off a huge presentation Friday at Oakbrook for HUNDREDS of Taylor and Kokomo school kids AND pulled off another amazing one Sunday at 11:15! Way to go Sarah Lee, staff and amazing volunteers! OSM finished their Philippians series strong last night with a message by Joel Larison. It's so good to see: students volunteering in the booth and on stage, committed small group leaders, lot of students listening intently to how God's Word can shape their life, and great volunteers of all ages. See pictures from last night on their FaceBook page http://www.facebook.com/oakbrook.studentministries We're putting together a team of people to volunteer on Mondays. Duties involve notes, processing tear off cards and data entry. This is perfect for retirees who have some time during the day. Email Dea Mygrant dea@oakbrookchurch.com or 765-271-2124. She doesn't have a land line either God-honoring marriage: don't just talk about it-BE about it! Make a great week, amigos! Morganwww.MorganCafe.com   Monday Morning Recap 2011-03-07T15:26:41+00:00 http://www.oakbrookchurch.com//blog/entry/monday_morning_recap_02.21 http://www.oakbrookchurch.com/site/monday_morning_recap_02.21/#When:19:14:29Z Another great day at Oakbrook! Where else can you go in life and hear the powerful truth that the God of the universe is for you. God believes in you more than you will ever know!I hope and pray that you will live this week with the truth that “you are precious and honored in the sight of God.” Let God’s belief in you empower you this week in whatever you do!I’m already stoked about next Sunday! What would happen to your friendships if your friends knew that you believed in them? What would happen to you if you surrounded yourself with those kinds of friends. That’s where we are going next week-invite a friend to experience next Sunday with you.I am so excited for the conversations happening in families right now as parents are helping their children understand the gospel message. Last week several kids invited Christ into their lives and their parents had the unbelievable joy of leading them in that life changing decision...it just doesn’t get any better than that friends! Way to go UpStreet team! Way to go parents! We love partnering with families!!Heres a couple of link I thought you might enjoy. The first one is the story I mentioned before we took the offering...http://tinyurl.com/5kc88e. Big thanks to all of you who are honoring God by with your giving. God will honor you! For those of you reading this who are not giving I challenge you to read Malachi 3: 8-10 and take God up on his challenge.The other link is to the song our music team hit out of the park at the end of the service! Set aside 5 minutes and let God speak to you through Kari Jobe...http://tinyurl.com/237l3uxDon’t forget to pray this week for our team traveling back from Haiti. They return Tuesday.Also, Keep Sam and Sarah Burke in your prayers. They interviewed last week at a church in Kansas. Sam told me the interview went well. Pray that God will clearly lead them to the next ministry adventure He has for them.Make it a great week you guys! And DJYAIBAI...Love Doing Church With You Guys!Mark Monday Morning Recap 2011-02-21T19:14:29+00:00 http://www.oakbrookchurch.com//blog/entry/monday_morning_recap_02.14 http://www.oakbrookchurch.com/site/monday_morning_recap_02.14/#When:14:35:32Z Happy Valentines Day Everybody! Hope you get an opportunity to really enjoy those you love today. I'm spending the day with Ronda (we've been together 27 years!) and our grandson Mason-should be an awesome Valentines Day for me! Ending the Nahum series with communion was to quote my good friend Jlee-EPIC! Teaching about the judgement of God that awaits us is frankly unsettling but to wrap that truth in the grace and mercy of Christ and what he did for us on the cross is again-EPIC. I hope the Nahum series has motivated you to get into the Bible more than ever! Nahum on the surface is frightening and confusing but when you discover the "why behind the what" you discover some amazing truth about our amazing God. So proud of our Upstreet Team and all the parents who attended For Heaven Sake yesterday. The room was full! Please join me in praying for parents as they now will be having conversations with their kids about the gospel story. Pray that lots of children will receive Christ in the next few weeks. Imagine...a Mom or Dad leading their own child to Christ-beautiful. Don't forget to pray for the guys who are on their way to Haiti. They will be there for 9 days. Let's all ask God to use them in life transforming ways as they serve the poor and oppressed. I'm stoked about the next series we are starting this Sunday. It is called "I Believe In You". The potential of these 4 words can change your life and others when you receive them from God and then speak them to others. This will be a great series to invite friends who don't yet come to Oakbrook. Pray with me that God will use this series in a powerful way! We need your help with another Food Drive we are hosting for local food pantries. Kokomo Urban Outreach called us recently and ask if we could help-their food supplies are running low. Pick up a bag or two this Sunday-fill them up and bring them back Sunday Feb. 27th. Thanks in advance for helping those in need right here in Kokomo! OK-time to hang out with my valentines! Have a great week everybody. As always-let's be about the mission of "Helping People Find Jesus and Live Like Him" this week. Love Doing Church with You Guys, Mark   Monday Morning Recap 2011-02-14T14:35:32+00:00 http://www.oakbrookchurch.com//blog/entry/monday_morning_recap_01.31 http://www.oakbrookchurch.com/site/monday_morning_recap_01.31/#When:14:44:47Z What a great weekend of influence at Oakbrook! So proud of all the Dad and Daughters who experienced Dad Camp Winter this weekend. Big thanks to Jason Braun and his team for all the hard work and effort they put forth to make this happen! The next Dad Camp Winter for Dads and Sons is Feb. 25-26. Did you see all the kids and volunteers in Upstreet walking around in their PJ's? Yesterday was the annual PJ Party in Upstreet. I love the creativity the staff and volunteers bring to Upstreet! Parents-when's the last time you thanked a volunteer for the investment they are making in your kids life? Let these amazing volunteers know how much you appreciate them! * Parents of kids 2nd-5th grade don't miss For Heavens Sake Sunday Feb. 13th after the morning service. This will be an amazing opportunity to spiritually influence your child. More details here...http://www.oakbrookchurch.com/forheavenssake/ I really, really appreciate all the work and effort our Creative Arts Team puts into our weekend experiences. The first 30 minutes of yesterdays service was powerful and took hours of prep and hard work. Big thanks to those guys for all the effort! In the Nahum series we learned yesterday that God is the leader of the greatest restoration movement in the world. And He is asking us to join Him in that movement. Are you? This week-look around your workplace, school, neighborhood, family and do some restorative work this week! Don't forget-this Sunday-Ben Redmond the author of The Comfort of Vengeance will be speaking in person at Oakbrook. Don't miss it! As always...DJTAIBAI!!! Have a great week everybody. Stay safe and enjoy the snow! Love Doing Church with You Guys! Mark   >blog home< Monday Morning Recap 2011-01-31T14:44:47+00:00 http://www.oakbrookchurch.com//blog/entry/monday_morning_recap_01.24 http://www.oakbrookchurch.com/site/monday_morning_recap_01.24/#When:14:03:23Z Yesterday was a great start to the Nahum series! As I said yesterday this is a series about God-and our understanding of Him will deepen during the next 4 weeks. I challenge you to lean into this series with all you got... If your in a small group do your best to attend your group meetings during this series. Each day read some of Ben Redmond's awesome commentary "The Comfort of Vengeance." Each day read a chapter of Nahum and before you read ask God to speak to you through His word. Don't miss Sunday Feb. 6th. That Sunday Ben Redmond will be in the house-live-teaching! Here are a couple of thoughts from yesterdays talk to think about this week... The biggest mistake the Assyrians made was...they took God lightly...are you taking God lightly in your life? Another thought... "What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us." A.W. Tozer How do you really view God and where do you get your view of God? What to have some fun? Check this out...http://tinyurl.com/4mpybd4 Some Great Stuff Happening this week @oakbrook... I Was Broke, Now I'm Not Financial Class tomorrow night-Tues.-7-8:30PM. Just show up! This weeks subject...how to get out of debt. Dad Camp Winter! Dads and Daughters this Friday! More information here...http://www.oakbrookchurch.com/dad_camp_winter_2011 Have a great week everybody. As always-Don't Just Talk About It Be About It! Love Doing Church With You Guys! Mark >blog home<   Monday Morning Recap 2011-01-24T14:03:23+00:00 http://www.oakbrookchurch.com//blog/entry/monday_afternoon_recap_01.10 http://www.oakbrookchurch.com/site/monday_afternoon_recap_01.10/#When:19:12:22Z Wow. I have heard so many talks on the topic of finances but Andy Stanley is bringing it in such a fresh and powerful way! Here are some highlights from yesterday: He taught through 1 Timothy 6:6-11, 18-19  "Discontentment is dangerous!" (It drives our appetite for more bigger, better stuff.) (He asked his small group.) "When were you the most content in your life? (Answer) When we had the least amount of stuff...but the more we fed the appetite of bigger, better more, our appetites got bigger & bigger..." "Appetites...it's not a matter of telling ourselves no. It's re-channeling, redirecting our desires...we kill our appetite for more stuff by becoming aware of other people's needs..." If you missed it, download it (and other resources for this series) here http://oakbrookchurch.com/this_weekend And don't miss this coming Sunday for the conclusion of this powerful series! All parents: mark you calendars for Kid Unique w/Dan Webster Sat morning Feb 19 And let's all "group up" for another great church-wide small group experience around our next series: NAHUM. Grab a book Sun in the Village for $10. Contact Jason Braun to host or get into a group. >GET IN A GROUP! Be part of our first Winter DadCamp offerings: http://oakbrookchurch.com/dad_camp_winter_2011 Now run out and buy enormous quantities of milk, bread and eggs because the snow is coming! DJTAIBAI -Morgan >blog home<   Monday Morning Recap 2011-01-10T19:12:22+00:00 http://www.oakbrookchurch.com//blog/entry/monday_morning_recap_01.03 http://www.oakbrookchurch.com/site/monday_morning_recap_01.03/#When:13:57:41Z Happy New Year Everybody! I hope you had a great Holiday season with your family and friends. Hope you have enjoyed the past few Sunday experiences as much as I have. Starting the New Year with a time of communion and worship yesterday was so good for my soul! What a great message from our friend Andy Stanley! It was so good to start the New Year with the understanding that the goal of our lives is to honor God with everything we have and with everything we are. * Go here for lots of resources that will help you find Balance in your personal finances...http://tinyurl.com/25r4k4h...lets make 2011 the year we let God be God over our finances!!!! We have some awesome opportunities coming up in the next few months: *I Was Broke But Now I'm Not Classes...on January 18th & 25th 7-8:30PM. Get signed up now...http://tinyurl.com/2g6dwdt *Nahum Series...beginning 1/23/11. 4 weeks of exploring the character of God through the Old Testament book of Nahum and Small Groups. If your not in a small group sign up now...http://tinyurl.com/2d42l5x. If you could host a group for 4 weeks contact Jason Braun(Jason@oakbrookchurch.com) *Dad Camp Winter...Dads join us for 2 great experiences to invest in the life of your child. Dads and Daughters on January 28-29th. Dads and Sons on February 25-26th. Sign up now...http://tinyurl.com/2g5446a *kidunique Seminar...Dan Webster-author, communicator, founder of Authentic Leadership will be joining us the weekend of February 19-20th! Dan is the author of kidunique-helping kids discover who they are. If you are a parent, teacher, coach you won't want to miss this seminar with Dan. More details will be coming soon! One more thing...big thanks to everyone who contributed to the year end offering and to those who made the commitment to increase your weekly giving in 2011. Thank you so much! It's not to late to give if you haven't already. We will give you a report on the amount given soon. Have a great week everybody! As Always-DJTAIBAI! Love Doing Church With You Guys! Mark   >blog home< Monday Morning Recap 2011-01-03T13:57:41+00:00 http://www.oakbrookchurch.com//blog/entry/monday_afternoon_recap_12.13 http://www.oakbrookchurch.com/site/monday_afternoon_recap_12.13/#When:18:15:27Z p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica} p.p2 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px} p.p3 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 14.0px Arial} p.p4 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 14.0px Arial; min-height: 16.0px} p.p5 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Arial} p.p6 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Arial; min-height: 14.0px} span.s1 {letter-spacing: 0.0px} span.s2 {font: 14.0px Arial; letter-spacing: 0.0px} How about those cupcakes yesterday Oakbrook? Big thanks to the Gingerbread House for those delicious treats! We figured if Gingerbread House was good enough for the President then it would be good enough for you guys   Let’s all pray this prayer this week.... "Lord, what do You want to do through me to accomplish Your will at Oakbrook for the next 5 years?” Then.... Resurrender: Remind yourself that all we have is from God. Listen: Pray about what God wants you to do/commit. God will whisper. Obey: Be courageous and follow His whisper. Then... Come this Sunday to our Christmas Service (9 & 11AM) bring your family, your friends and your 5 Year offering, and your worship...o, come let us adore Him! As always...DJTAIBAI Love Doing Church with You Guys! Mark  Monday Morning Recap 2010-12-13T18:15:27+00:00 http://www.oakbrookchurch.com//blog/entry/monday_morning_recap_12.06 http://www.oakbrookchurch.com/site/monday_morning_recap_12.06/#When:13:37:33Z What an awesome day at Oakbrook! Congratulations to all the people who were baptized the past 3 weeks. We are proud of you. And what a joy it was for all of us to celebrate this defining moment in your life. Thanks to all of you who helped prepare the Christmas meals for families in need this Christmas season. It takes Kokomo Urban Outreach a week to prepare the food and you did in 45 minutes! Way to go everyone!! Christmas Services are only 2 weeks away. Dec. 19th 9 and 11am. This years services will be different than services in the past. They will be very family oriented and family friendly. They will appeal to young and old. Grab some invite cards and invite friends and family to join you. I have really enjoyed the 25 Series! Learning to live like Jesus and unpacking what it will take to achieve our 5 Year Plan has been awesome! As I said yesterday you will hear us talking more and more about Missional Teams over the next 5 years. Imagine the future...hundreds of Oakbrook servants going into the community and world serving and loving and influencing. This will be a movement of God! If you are in a small group-how could your group become a Missional Team? Next time you meet together dream together about making a difference. Live with these questions this week. What are you good at? Why are you still here? God has gifted us all to make a difference for his kingdom. If you are not serving yet-don't you think its time??  Are you happy? Are you fulfilled? Remember-lasting happiness is not found in self serving pleasure. Lasting happiness is found in a Higher Purpose-being a part of something that is bigger than yourself that has meaning to you. Can you say-5 Year Plan? Join the revolution friends. Lets change the world! We are two weeks away from making a financial commitment to the 5 Year Plan! The plan is God inspired and has the potential to change the world but it will take sacrificial generosity to make it happen. Pray this prayer the next 2 weeks-"God what do you want me to give to help make the 5 Year Plan a reality?" Then do what God whispers for you to do. The 5 Year Plan offering will be taken at the Christmas Services on Dec. 19th. Have a great week everybody! As always...DJTAIBAI. Love Doing Church With You Guys, Mark >blog home< Monday Morning Recap 2010-12-06T13:37:33+00:00 http://www.oakbrookchurch.com//blog/entry/monday_morning_recap._11.29 http://www.oakbrookchurch.com/site/monday_morning_recap._11.29/#When:14:08:02Z The Monday Morning Recap.....on Thursday.....hopefully better late than never.  Just want to say thank you for the privilege it was to speak this past Sunday.  I have to admit that before it was time to go up and speak, I was thinking "Oh no, this service has been amazing so far...don't mess it up Jason."  Hopefully I didn't.  Watching people declare their faith and get baptized never gets old and then to encompass it with a time of authentic worship like we did is so good for my soul.  Glory to God .......... forever. Like I said Sunday, I am thrilled to be a part of this church and where we are headed in the next 5 years, but I also believe that our impact to help people find Jesus and live like Him is directly tied to our willingness to obey our scriptural mandate to be rooted in community.  I have received several emails and phone calls this week about how many of you never made the connection to Jesus' prayer in John 17:20-21 and the expression of His prayer by the local church in Acts 2:42-47.  The Scriptures are clear: when believers are committed to each other in community 2 things happen: people far from God find Jesus & believers in community learn what it means to live like Jesus ---- Lifechange!  This is what we hope to be about at Oakbrook but it takes ALL of us to be a part of a community of believers for us to have maximal impact.  So as I said Sunday - let's not just talk about it, let's be about it!  Being in a small group is not just another thing to do rather it is how followers of Jesus have been called to live.  Small groups are a movement that God uses to build the Kingdom...small groups are where we connect, grow, and serve.....small groups are how we faithfully respond to the Word of God.....small groups are how we 'Go & Make Disciples'.  Let's be a 'Total Church' - one that is faithful to the word and faithful to the community! If you are not in a group - sign up online today - it is your responsibility as a follower of Jesus to be committed to community.We believe without a doubt that everyone has been called to be in a group so that we can be the church God is calling us to be. If you would be willing to host a group for a 4 week series starting Jan. 23rd - please let us know.  A HOST is someone who: has a HEART for people, is willing to OPEN their home for 3-4 weeks, SERVE some refreshments, and TELL a few friends to join them.  We will help you with the rest.  Would you be willing to be a HOST? SUNDAYS + 2 ..... be here on Sundays, be in a group, be on a serving team.  Are you in? Don't forget to make those Christmas invitations......this will be a fantastic service for the entire family!   Dec. 19th at 9 & 11am. As Mark always says and I couldn't agree more: Love doing church with you guys! Jason Monday Morning Recap 2010-12-02T14:08:02+00:00 http://www.oakbrookchurch.com//blog/entry/monday_morning_recap_11.22 http://www.oakbrookchurch.com/site/monday_morning_recap_11.22/#When:14:40:35Z Happy Thanksgiving Week Everybody! Thanksgiving is by far my favorite holiday so I suggest we celebrate all week-join me! Let's give God thanks everyday this week for His amazing goodness to us. Let me start by saying how proud I am of Landon Matlock and Morgan Rupert for going public with their faith in Christ through the ordinance of baptism. Way to go! If you want to do the same sign up now online. SPIRITUAL LIFE SURVEY...don't forget to give us your feedback. Your input will help us get better at our mission of helping people find Jesus! Please set aside some time before Thanksgiving and take the survey...http://www.oakbrookchurch.com/spiritual_life_survey Thanks to those who have taken it and thanks in advance to those who will take it! Yesterdays Sunday Experience was awesome in so many ways...baptism...worship (my chains are gone-I've been set free!)...learning how to live like Jesus (friend of sinners)...great drama (always fun to laugh in church). Big Thanks to all who serve each week to make these experiences possible!! Questions from yesterday's experience to think about: Are you a friend of sinners? Who is counting on you? How many weekly significant interactions do you have with people far from God? Like Jesus-do you "wonder" about people? My deepest desire for Oakbrook is that we always have a heart for people who are far from God. Keep reaching out to and praying for the "name" of the person you love and desire to impact. 5 Year Vision...keep praying about your part in this vision. RESURRENDER: Remind yourself that all we have is from God. LISTEN: Pray about what God wants you to do/commit. God will whisper. OBEY: Be courageous and follow His whisper! Together God is going to use all of us to accomplish more for His Glory in the next 5 years than has has in the last 25! You have a part to play in this great adventure! Can't wait! I really like how this simply and clearly explains how to engage in Oakbrook's mission...check it out...http://tinyurl.com/28jhue3 That video from Oakbrook's 1st service was interesting...my son didn't recognize me Hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving Holiday! DJTAIBAI! Love Doing Church With You Guys, Mark   >blog home< Monday Morning Recap 2010-11-22T14:40:35+00:00 http://www.oakbrookchurch.com//blog/entry/monday_morning_recap_11.15 http://www.oakbrookchurch.com/site/monday_morning_recap_11.15/#When:13:45:56Z HAPPY 25TH OAKBROOK! Yesterday was so much fun for me! I loved seeing all the old school pictures in the video. God has been so good and so faithful over the past 25 years. Are you guys ready for the NEXT 5 YEARS? The next 5 years are going to be an amazing adventure of life transformation! What role does God want you to play in the 5 Year Plan? I can't wait to see how God uses us all-together-in the next 5 Years to help more people find Jesus! Join me in praying weekly about the 5 Year Plan. Pray for God to lead us as we begin to implement the plan. Pray that God will give us the resources needed (people and money) to see this plan become a reality. Pray for an outpouring of Attractional Influence, Missional Movement and Financial Freedom. If you were not able to attend yesterdays service please pick up a free CD of my message and the 25th Anniversary Handout at this Sundays service. Make time to listen and read so that you are in the know! This week start the 3 step process I talked about yesterday: Resurrender-Acknowledge that all we have comes from God-Psalm 24:1 Listen-Ask HIm what he wants you to commit. God will whisper-John 10:27 Obey-Be courageous and follow his whisper-Psalm 103:18 All that God has done at Oakbrook the last 25 years has been through generous acts of giving and serving. And all that God will do in the next 5 years will be done through generous acts of giving and serving. Parents don't forget-KIDSTUF THIS WEDNESDAY NIGHT 6:30PM WAREHOUSE-don't come alone! Also, don't forget to take the-SPIRITUAL LIFE SURVEY-this will help us become more effective as a church. We value your input! http://www.oakbrookchurch.com/spiritual_life_survey Great days ahead! DJTAIBAI! Love doing church with you guys! Mark >blog home<   Monday Morning Recap 2010-11-15T13:45:56+00:00 http://www.oakbrookchurch.com//blog/entry/monday_recap_on_friday http://www.oakbrookchurch.com/site/monday_recap_on_friday/#When:11:03:13Z WOW...What a great day at Oakbrook! I just returned home from our 25th anniversary celebration. It was great spending a wonderful evening with about 300 of you reminiscing about the last 25 years at Oakbrook. Some of the original "Brooks Brothers" opened up the night with Smile, and I have to say that Monty has not loss any of his edge over all his years here at the church. That song was just as amazing tonight as it was when they played it in 1995 at our "I Love This Place" outreach event. We laughed a lot at some of the old pictures, listened to video greetings from past Oakbrook staff, but the best part of the night was listening to the stories of life change. After all, that was why a young 26 year old youth pastor named Mark Malin and a handful others who had a vision and dream of reaching people who did not go to church started Oakbrook. There were many who thought we were crazy, many who thought it would never work, many who disagreed with out methods, but as Mark read the names of some of the people who had found Christ over the years, we knew it was all worth it. You will want to make sure and be here the next four weeks as Mark unpacks our vision for Oakbrook for the next five years. We truly believe that our best days are ahead of us, and that we will achieve more in the next five years then in the last 25. Don't miss it! Don't forget to be all about S-2. Come on Sundays, join a small group, volunteer. How about Macey Rice and the band knocking that Mandisa song "out of the park" this morning?!? That song was so full of truth. It was an awesome way to close out the service. It gave me chills. I was really moved this morning by the tremendous response to my message and for the number of hands that were raised by those in attendance who find themselves in The Land Between. The bookstore sold all the copies of the book that we had and more were ordered. Remember, God leads us through the land we most want to avoid in order to produce in us that which we most desperately need. The Land Between has a purpose. God wants to grow something deep and lasting, but you must cooperate with God for the season of hardship to work its intended transformation. Persevere (James 1:3-4) and you will emerge on the other side with a faith worth having, and you will discover that the place you most wanted to escape has now produced the fruit that you most desperately needed. Hope you all have a great week. Karl   Monday Morning Recap 2010-11-12T11:03:13+00:00 http://www.oakbrookchurch.com//blog/entry/monday_morning_recap_11.01 http://www.oakbrookchurch.com/site/monday_morning_recap_11.01/#When:15:49:51Z GREAT DAY at Oakbrook! I hope all of you have enjoyed The Whispers series as much as I have. I still can't get over that the God of the universe choose to speak to us-wow. I stopped by Lakeside Books after the service and they told me we sold out of the Whispers book. Way to go you guys! Now-set aside 15-20 minutes day and read. And before you start reading pray the "Samuel Prayer-Speak Lord, your servant is listening." Big thanks to all who gave blood on Halloween no doubt at the Red Cross Blood Drive. You are helping save lives! Can't wait for our 25th Celebration this Sunday evening in The Warehouse!! I hope you can make it! It will be a great evening of looking back, laughing, hearing from former staff members, hearing stories of life change and looking ahead! Refreshments at 6:00PM....party starts at 7:00PM.  (more info / downloads / share your story) I'm really excited for Kidstuf on a Wednesday night-Nov. 17th. Parents don't missed this new Kistuf experience and start thinking about some familes you could bring with you. Can't wait to roll out The 5 Year Plan for Oakbrook on Nov. 14th in the weekend service. I'm predicting God does more influence in the next 5 years than he has done in the previous 25 years! If you think about it pray for me this week as I speak on Thursday at a business in Westfield,IN-IMMI. And I will be speaking Saturday at the Day of Healing Conference in Wabash, IN. Check it out here...http://www.wabashfriendscounseling.com/dayofhealing.html Don't miss the weekend service this Sunday. Karl Stoneking will be teaching on The Land Between-Finding God in Difficult Transitions. Do you know a friend in the midst of a very hard transition? Get them there Sunday. Just a reminder-we love it when you respond back to these blogs! Ronda and I had a blast trick or treating with this guy yesterday...we are blessed! Have a great week everybody! Make a difference! DJTAIBAT! Love dong church with you guys! Mark   <blog home> Monday Morning Recap 2010-11-01T15:49:51+00:00 http://www.oakbrookchurch.com//blog/entry/monday_morning_recap_10.25 http://www.oakbrookchurch.com/site/monday_morning_recap_10.25/#When:13:15:41Z Last night I came back to peak in on our friends at OSM and one of the things that struck me is how many "double-dippers" we have on Sundays: Josh Myers: played drums am & pmDave Horrine: co-lead worship am & gave the message pmJason Lee: co-lead worship am & ran sound pmSam Burke: played guitar am & led OSM pm(I'm sure I missed people.) And not to mention all the adult volunteers who were at church in the morning and back building into teenagers into the evening. Those are long days! What a committed group of people we have to freely and willingly give of themselves-way to go! That was great to have Jlee share with us during worship about their time in the hospital with their baby, Haddie Ann Lee. So glad she & Gretchen are doing well-answered prayers! Great to be able to talk with Josh & Robyn Whaley about the whisper they got to start "Shine" at local high school football games. If they can do it, YOU can do it! What is God whispering to you? If you want any notes or info about the talk or people I follow on Twitter it's on my blog http://morgancafe.blogspot.com/ Lot's of opportunities for us to BE ABOUT IT: 1) Give blood next Sun at Oakbrook 8:30-1:302) Work day at Oakbrook Sat Nov 6th 9am-noon3) Fill out the WHAT'S YOUR DREAM? Card!We want to know your vision for Oakbrook in the next 5 years or so. Drop the card in the offering next Sun or simply send us an email right now MyDream@oakbrookchurch.com Don't just talk about it! Time to check my tweets -Morgan   >blog home< 2010-10-25T13:15:41+00:00 http://www.oakbrookchurch.com//blog/entry/monday_morning_recap_10.18 http://www.oakbrookchurch.com/site/monday_morning_recap_10.18/#When:13:15:34Z Some thoughts from yesterday at Oakbrook... Big thanks to all of you who are helping us become the hands and feet of Christ to our Kokomo community. Thanks for bringing food to keep local food pantries stocked! Proud of you guys!! It was great meeting new people yesterday after the service. To those who stopped by Coffee Talk thanks for stopping by! And for those who are inviting friends to come with you on the weekends. Way to go! God is using you!! I can hardly believe Oakbrook is 25 years old! Recently I have really enjoyed reflecting on how faithful God has been to our church for 25 years. What an amazing run it has been! Yet I honestly believe the next 25 are going to be even more amazing. In a few weeks I will be rolling out some new, fresh vision for the future of Oakbrook. I can hardly wait to share it with you! Get ready friends...God is going to explode our influence in the days ahead! Don't miss our 25 Year Celebration on Sunday Nov 7th! We have set aside this night to celebrate God's faithfulness to us as a church. It is going to be such a fun and meaningful experience. Who should come? Everyone who volunteers on a team, everyone who is in a small group, everyone gives of their time and resources to help us fulfill our mission. And anyone else who wants to come. It would mean so much to me and Ronda to have you there...so please join us for an unforgettable evening. I'm still amazed that the God of this universe chooses to speak to us through Whispers...aren't you? I loved the "phone video" yesterday reminding us that God is whispering to us through his Word. I got an email last night from someone who said 3 cell phones started ringing within 5 minutes of each other during the service...God was speaking! Pick up the phone this week you guys! Make Bible reading a weekly experience. If your new to reading Gods word start in the gospels-Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. These books tell the story of Jesus. Want some daily wisdom? Read the Book of Proverbs. Want to start with a relevant, easy to understand book? Read James. Are you into stories? Start at the beginning of the Old Testament. God will speak to you through his word...but you have to pick up the phone. Remember..."Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly..." Imagine if Oakbrook was full of people who fed their souls consistently on the word of God. Small Group Leaders don't forget you can download discussion questions from the website to use in your group times. This is a great opportunity to continue the Whispers" discussion. I used them last week with my group and it was a great learning experience! FYI-Jason and Gretchen Lee are home from the hospital with their new baby girl Haddie! Little Haddie spent the first week of her new life in ICU with some lung challenges but she is getting stronger everyday. So thankful for Gods healing work in her life and so excited for Jason and Gretchen!! FYI-last Friday Taylor Schools bused students to The Warehouse to experience Kidstuf for the first time. The kids and teacher loved it! Remember the year end offering we took last Christmas? Money used from that offering paid for the cost of busing these kids to Oakbrook. Just wanted to let you know how much your giving matters! One more thing-On Friday Oct. 29th at 7:15PM Oakbrook is hosting Howard Community Hospitals Annual Celebration Concert featuring the Purdue Varsity Glee Club. I went to the concert last year and it was fantastic! Such a fun night of entertainment. You can get tickets at the hospital but hurry...this event sold out last year. The auditorium was packed! This is a great way to serve our community with the amazing facility God has blessed us with-join us. As always my friends...DJTAIBAI. Love Doing Church With You Guys! Mark Monday Morning Recap 2010-10-18T13:15:34+00:00 http://www.oakbrookchurch.com//blog/entry/monday_morning_recap_10.11 http://www.oakbrookchurch.com/site/monday_morning_recap_10.11/#When:00:06:04Z More great stuff going on at Oakbrook yesterday! First how ‘bout the new stage look? Two of our Protégés, Derek Rody and Elijah Pickett, spent all last week making that happen! Are you kidding me? Chicago's "25 or 6 to 4" with a smokin' horn section as the prelude! I was seriously jealous I didn't get to play drums with those guys We're so glad that you all got to meet Arthur Spaulding. He's such an encouraging man of God that we are so honored to partner with. Please continue to pray for him and God's vision for his ministry. We sold several copies of the book, The Power of a Whisper by Bill Hybels-way to go! This is a great companion guide to this series and a great way to better understand the Holy Spirit. Looking forward to seeing EVERYONE at Oakbrook Valley Sat for the Fall Family Fest! This a great opportunity to bring a friend to. Free chili, beverages & desserts for the first 300 people! Sorry that the screen support wasn't working as I was running through biblical foundations of the Holy Spirit. You can get the text version of the talk and catch up on those on my website www.morgancafe.com The Holy Spirit is a talkerWe have to be LISTENING(because He's a "low talker")We have to obey What whispers are you hearing that you could share on this blog? Mark will be back for part 2 next Sunday. See you SATURDAY at Oakbrook Valley! DJTAIBAI -Morgan   >blog home< Monday Morning Recap 2010-10-11T00:06:04+00:00 http://www.oakbrookchurch.com//blog/entry/monday_morning_recap_09.27 http://www.oakbrookchurch.com/site/monday_morning_recap_09.27/#When:12:45:51Z What a great weekend God gave us at Oakbrook! I'm sitting in my home office this morning reflecting on the weekend events and all I can do is smile. Bill Hybels once said, "There is nothing like the local church when the local is working right." And this weekend reminded me of how right he was when he made that statement. I am hearing awesome reports from the Dad Camp weekend at Oakbrook Valley. Jason Braun told me it was a powerful experience for Dads and their sons. So proud of all the Dads who made this huge investment into their sons lives! Way to go guys! And a big thanks to all the volunteers who made this camp happen-God was smiling on you all weekend! The Bittersweet Event last night was so good! I enjoyed so many aspects of it. Things like...our amazing facility that God has blessed us with to host these kinds of events. The Village and Warehouse space are awesome! And all the chocolate-oh my! Then this girl named Becky Johnson sits down in front of a mic to sing and I had heard she was good but I had no idea how good she was-WOW! She told me afterwards that she loved the experience and would love to come back. I think that would be a really good idea...you agree? If you were not able to attend last nights event you need to do yourself a favor and check out Becky's website...www.beckyjohnsonmusic.com. Hopefully we can get some of her CD's in Lakeside Books...stay tuned. And what can I say about Shauna Niequist? Such a gifted writer/artist! She writes with such fresh, real, honest and hopeful words. I loved the question and answer time during last nights events. It was so fun to go behind the scenes of a writers life and experiences. Thanks to all who ask such great questions! And thanks for buying books. Reading great Christian books will change your life! Don't ever forget Shauna's big idea from her talk Sunday morning: First, God does His best work in our pain and disappointments and second, you have a story that must be told and when you tell your story you are telling God amazing story of redemption and reconciliation. So live out your stories this week you guys! Look for ways to share your story with others and let God use your story to tell His epic story of amazing grace. It's Monday and I can hardly wait for Sunday as we dive into Pt. 4 of the Story Series. Don't miss it and bring someone with you! Kidstuf and OSM are back this Sunday! Let me know what you thought of the Bittersweet Event in the comments section below. And if any Dads are reading this tell us about your Dad Camp experience. As always...DJTAIBAI! Love Doing Church With You Guys! Mark >blog home<  Monday Morning Recap 2010-09-27T12:45:51+00:00 http://www.oakbrookchurch.com//blog/entry/monday_morning_recap_09.20 http://www.oakbrookchurch.com/site/monday_morning_recap_09.20/#When:12:58:37Z I am really excited for the week ahead of us at Oakbrook... Dad Camp 2 fires up this Friday night at Oakbrook Valley! Dads and their sons will be spending the weekend together building into each others lives. Please join me in praying for great weather, pray for Jason Braun and Doug Mygrant as they lead this great event and pray that God will do his work in Dads and Sons this weekend! SHAUNA NIEQUEST-BITTERSWEET-THIS SUNDAY!! Life is full of celebration and heartache, and both make up the rich tapestry of our lives. Author Shuana Niequest will be joining us this Sunday morning and evening to share how God is with us in the celebration and the heartache. At the Sunday evening event musician Becky Johnson will be joining Shauna-learn more about Becky here...http://tinyurl.com/28chkw3. This is a great weekend to bring all your friends and family members who you are trying to influence...don't come alone. Don't forget to reserve your free tickets for the Sunday evening event online here...http://www.oakbrookchurch.com/bittersweet. What a great Sunday experience God gave us! The music from the prelude to Sean Verlee was powerful! God ministered to many through Morgan's words and Sean's song. Kidstuf was back in full force!! It was so fun seeing all the parents and kids in The Warehouse learning together. Pray for my wife Ronda as she meets with the school superintendent from Eastern Schools this week to discuss bringing Kidstuf to Eastern! I'm loving the Story series. I hope you were encouraged yesterday by the truth that every great story has conflict written into it. And God never waste a hurt! He uses them to tell his Epic story to a watching world. He did it through Moses, Nehemiah, David, Paul, Joseph and...He will do it through your story as well. Don't get stuck in your conflict and hurt! Let God push and pull you through it for his glory! Remember the words of Jesus-"I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." John 16:33 Here is Donald Millers definition of a great story- "A character that wants something and overcomes conflict to get it." Are you living a great story with your one and only life? If not realize time is passing friends...start today! Play the role God created you to play in His epic story. You know when your are getting old? When you switch the names of characters in your talk like I did yesterday. I said, "Jesus had Judah (should have said-Judas). Judah was the brother in Joseph story who stepped in to take the heat for Benjamin. Hey I'm 50-cut me some slack! Did your hear that Shuana Niequest is joining us this Sunday Get your tickets right now...seriously...click the link and get them now. This is a fantastic opportunity to grow personally and to influence others! As Always...DJTAIBAI! Love Doing Church With You Guys! Mark <blog home> Monday Morning Recap 2010-09-20T12:58:37+00:00 http://www.oakbrookchurch.com//blog/entry/monday_morning_recap_09.13 http://www.oakbrookchurch.com/site/monday_morning_recap_09.13/#When:12:50:11Z What a great weekend at Oakbrook! First, I have to say how thankful I am for Jason Braun and Doug Mygrant and the team of volunteers who provided such great leadership to the Dad Camp this weekend! You guys are writing a great story called Dad Camp...way to go everybody! And way to go to all the Dads who went to the camp! I'am so proud of the investment you are making in your daughters life! You guys rock! As I said yesterday I'm really looking forward to the STORY series! Your life is a story. You were created by God to play a role in the EPIC story He is telling...very cool! So be honest...is your life a "volvo story" or are you writing the story God created you to write with your life? Life is to short to waste it on trivial pursuits! Want to grow closer to Christ? Pick up a copy of Donald MIllers book A MIllion Miles in a Thousand Years at Lakeside Books. This book will change your life! Small Group Leaders...don't forget the STORY discussion guides can be downloaded from our website, HERE. Parents don't forget next Sunday Kidstuf is in the house!!! 11:15AM in The Warehouse. Here's a challenge for parents...invite some of your kids friends/families who don't go to church to come with you to Kidstuf this Sunday. Your whole family can be INFLUENCERS! Ronda and I stopped by Oakbrook Valley last night to take in a little of OSM's Fall Bash. It was so cool seeing so many kids having fun together. Words can't express how thankful I'am for all of our Next Generation Ministries. God is allowing us to influence these potential packed kids...LOVE IT!! Don't forget to reserve your tickets for the Bittersweet Event on September 26...http://www.oakbrookchurch.com/bittersweet Author Shauna Niequist will be joining us that weekend to share from her recent book Bittersweet. Don't come alone to this awesome event! Learn more about Shauna here...http://www.shaunaniequist.com As Always...DJTAIBAI!!! Love doing church with you guys! Mark   Monday Morning Recap 2010-09-13T12:50:11+00:00 http://www.oakbrookchurch.com//blog/entry/tuesday_morning_recap_09.07 http://www.oakbrookchurch.com/site/tuesday_morning_recap_09.07/#When:12:58:50Z Mornin' campers! Well Sunday we slowed jammed the announcements and LONG-jammed the message Thanks to all my Facebook friends who said they didn't notice the length of the service-just the power of it! Sunday after church our family headed out to Oakbrook Valley and spent the night in our "vintage" popup camper. It was great sitting around the fire in that beautiful setting with old and new friends. And the next morning there was nothing like fresh brewed coffee by the fire. Good times A special thanks to: Jonathon Malin, Slater Young, Cameron Sprinkle and Ron Maloney for helping out with the close of the service. I hope you could tangibly see the power of different generations building into each other. The main ingredient to make it happen is simply intentionality. Do you have someone you can lean into (older) and someone you can build into (younger)? Start praying about and looking for opportunities. What a powerful story Cameron shared! You can read it on his blog http://tinyurl.com/39ow7et Please pray for him and his wife Karissa as they navigate a possible cross country ministry opportunity. Be sure to get your FREE tickets to the Shawna Niequest Bittersweet Event! http://oakbrookchurch.com/bittersweet When it comes to being multigenerational-don't just talk about-BE about it! Love you guys! -Morgan   Monday Morning Recap 2010-09-07T12:58:50+00:00 http://www.oakbrookchurch.com//blog/entry/monday_morning_recap_08.23 http://www.oakbrookchurch.com/site/monday_morning_recap_08.23/#When:11:33:29Z What a great morning at Oakbrook! So proud of everyone who was baptized yesterday!!! As a church lets commit to praying for these great people as they continue their journey of learning to live like Jesus. Way to go-all the influencers who God used to help these people find Christ! There is nothing more meaning in life than helping find Christ! How cool would it be to have influence in someones life in the same way?? One of the things I love most about Oakbrook is the intentional effort we place on influencing the next generation. I believe this effort puts a huge smile on God's face. We are so fortunate to have such an awesome team of people leading our Next Gen. ministries! Big, big thanks to all the volunteers who influence our kids each week. You guys are my Heroes!! Who are you influencing? Maybe God wants to use you, your gifts and talents to influence some kids...pray about it. I dare you. * Please pray this year for Upstreet, Kidstuf and OSM. I'm already excited about the thoughts rolling around in my head for next weeks message! I'm writing this blog from a hotel room in Columbus, OH (enemy territory for MIchigan fans I'm helping Carmen and Brad move into an apartment. Brad has one more year at Ohio State. Hopefully, I will not lose my religion today with all these Buckeyes! DONT JUST TALK ABOUT ADVANCING...LET'S BE ABOUT IT THIS WEEK! Love Doing Church With You Guys! Mark   Monday Morning Recap 2010-08-23T11:33:29+00:00 http://www.oakbrookchurch.com//blog/entry/monday_afternoon_recap http://www.oakbrookchurch.com/site/monday_afternoon_recap/#When:14:52:09Z It's been really tough to put into words a summary of what this weekend has been like at Oakbrook.  There are a few words that stand out to me though:  Inspiring, amazing, challenging, wonderful, reaching... and I'm sure the list could go on and on.   It was an honor performing 1/2 of the wedding ceremony for Carmen {Mailin} and Brad Smith Saturday night.  It was a beautiful day, a beautiful ceremony, and I know these guys are going to flourish as a married couple.  Keep them in your prayers. Wasn't it awesome to see Curtis' video from Haiti?  How inspiring was it to see that what we were able to give here turned into a blessing to them there?  Way to Go!  Your giving does matter! Here are a few highlights from yesterday's message: "worship is something bigger {than a song or 30 min. on a Sunday morning} that calls my entire life into view" "worship begins with a revelation that leads to a realization that causes repentance that makes me respond with my entire life to God." "God wants repentance.  He wants us to climb out of the dumpster and follow Him, not sit in the dumpster holding his hand, hoping that he will make the garbage seem better." "worship is my life fully surrendered and wholly devoted to God in every detail." worship is me responding "Here am I God, Send Me!!!" "God doesn't need more workers... He needs more worshippers." Let's be the worshippers of God this week in every detail of our lives. Don't just talk about it, be about it! have a great week!   Monday Morning Recap 2010-08-09T14:52:09+00:00 http://www.oakbrookchurch.com//blog/entry/monday_morning_recap_08.02 http://www.oakbrookchurch.com/site/monday_morning_recap_08.02/#When:12:56:42Z Really enjoyed the 5 Lies of the Devil series! I hope you are more aware now of the deception the evil one throws your way. By way of reminder here are the 5 Lies... Lie-Just follow your heart...Truth-Don't follow your heart, follow the Holy Spirit. Lie-God will never put more on us than we can handle...Truth-God can handle anything. Lie-You can't change...Truth-You can do all things through Christ who gives you strength. Lie-Your faith is a Private issue...Truth-Your faith is a Shared issue. Lie-It's just Sex...Truth-Sex is more than activity it's Intimacy. Greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world! You can replace the lies with truth and as Jesus said, "The truth will set you free!" If you want to go deeper in understanding spiritual warfare check out this book at Lakeside Books...Waking the Dead-The Glory of a Heart Fully Alive by John Eldrege. One of the best books I've ever read on this subject. Don't forget Worship and Prayer Night this coming Sunday at 6PM in The Warehouse. *Big week for our family! My daughter Carmen is getting married. Looking forward to celebrating with family and friends! It's an outdoor wedding so praying for some great weather! Have a great week everybody! Love Doing Church with You Guys, Mark >blog home< Monday Morning Recap 2010-08-02T12:56:42+00:00 http://www.oakbrookchurch.com//blog/entry/monday_morning_recap_07.26 http://www.oakbrookchurch.com/site/monday_morning_recap_07.26/#When:13:30:32Z A few thoughts on a GREAT day at Oakbrook... It was great having Steve and Stephanie Standrigde with us yesterday! Please join me in praying for them and their ministry in Rome. Our faith is NOT a private matter you guys! Small Picture-"I'm to busy to influence...I don't have the answers to people questions about faith...I don't want to impose my belief system on someone else." Big Picture-"God has "divine appointments" with people planned out for us. Live each day with eyes wide open looking for those divine appointments! Remember...you have a natural way that God has hard wired in you to influence. My heart hurts for Mary Ellen Brookshire and her family. Mary Ellen's grandson died unexpectedly of a heart attack at a young age (37). Please join me in praying that God's peace will surround this family in this extremely difficult time. Life is short you guys...which is another reason make your faith a public matter. As always...Don't Just Talk About It...Be About It. Love Doing Church With You Guys, Mark>blog home<    Monday Morning Recap 2010-07-26T13:30:32+00:00 http://www.oakbrookchurch.com//blog/entry/monday_morning_recap_07.19 http://www.oakbrookchurch.com/site/monday_morning_recap_07.19/#When:13:59:27Z Really enjoyed being back at Oakbrook yesterday... I got to spend 2 weeks of vacation with my family recently and I'm so thankful for the times we get to be together and connect. Have you been on vacation or do you plan on taking one this summer? Leave a comment below about your vacation plans this summer. I really enjoyed getting to speak yesterday on the subject of life change. It is one of my favorite topics to teach. No matter who you are, no matter where you've been, no matter what you've done in the past...you CAN change! Marinate on this verse all week...Philippians 4:13. Heres an inspiring story of life change happening right now in the life of an Oakbrook team member...http://tinyurl.com/2a9qjma...very,very cool! The evil one is a liar and deceiver! Don't buy his lie that you can't change. Remember...a lie believed as truth will affect you as if it were true. Replace lies with truth! One piece of truth could get you on a path of change. What area of your life would you like to change? Addiction? Smoking? Weight? Negative attitude? Finances? Career? Do Something Now! Seriously do something this week. Buy a book and read. Pray and ask God to give you the desire to change. Tell a trusted friend about your desire to change. Call a counselor. Go to a 12 step meeting. God can change anything in you that is not like Christ! He loves doing this for us. I'm hearing some great stories from our team that just got back from Haiti! Thanks to all of the team that make the sacrifice to go and serve! If you have some stories of life change going on right now in your life...send them my way in the comments below. I love hearing stories of life change!! As always...Don't Just Talk About It...this week...Be About It! Love Doing Church with You Guys! Mark   >blog home< Monday Morning Recap 2010-07-19T13:59:27+00:00 http://www.oakbrookchurch.com//blog/entry/c http://www.oakbrookchurch.com/site/c/#When:13:55:31Z It feels good to be back in Indiana.  Vacation is awesome, but there's just something about being home that is comforting.  There's also nothing like coming back to your home church when you've been away from it.  Both my wife and I felt a sense of "It's great to be home" yesterday.  I don't know if you realize how blessed our church is to be lead every week by such talented and humble musicians.  Many people want to turn a stage and lights into a show about them, but every week our worship leaders and musicians turn the fame and the glory to God, the One who really deserves it all, and lead us to worship Him.  I loved serving with Cameron and Karissa Sprinkle yesterday.  I love their heart of worship for God and their ability to lead us into His presence.  If you get a chance in the next couple of weeks, take an opportunity to thank them for that.I was praying last week that God would show up in a huge way during the service Sunday.  I prayed that my words would fade into the background and that the Holy Spirit would begin the process of freeing people from the lies that the Devil has blinded them with.  Here are some highlights from yesterday's message:"If I believe the lie that God will never give me more than I can handle... I will either become angry with Him, worried, or fell false guilt because of my circumstances in life.""God cares more about what HE can handle then what WE can handle.""God gives me the impossible to trust Him for the incredible.""Even if the incredible doesn't look how I want it to, God's grace through what Jesus did on the cross for me is enough."I hope that you will find peace, comfort, and freedom through this series.  Sam Monday Morning Recap 2010-07-13T13:55:31+00:00 http://www.oakbrookchurch.com//blog/entry/monday_recap_on_tuesday_07.06 http://www.oakbrookchurch.com/site/monday_recap_on_tuesday_07.06/#When:14:48:40Z "So long 70 degree days of June." This morning I couldn't tell the difference between the steam coming off my coffee and the heat induced haze of early July. Hope you had a great July 4th. Our family spent the evening with friends in the country just west of town. Tons of great Hoosier cooking and a phenomenal pro fireworks display right in their expansive back yard. Good times I have to say I was encouraged with the number of people and the energy they brought to Oakbrook on a holiday Sunday-way to go! Mark and Ronda are on vacation this week, so please remember to pray for God to replenish their minds, bodies and souls as only He can. I heard the Bookstore had a TON of people checking them out in their new location next to the Café yesterday. You purchased a lot of books pertaining to our current series; way to go, friends! Here are some highlights from Sun's talk: "We can't prove there's a devil. We can't prove that love exists either...." Who is the devil? "Satan who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don't believe..." 2 Corinthians 4:4 nlt A counterfeiter: "...Even Satan himself disguises himself as an angel of light!" 2 Corinthians 11:14 nlt A tempter: "Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted there by the devil." Matthew 4:1 And when Satan tempted Jesus-HE USED SCRIPTURE! Sobering thought: If Satan can quote Scripture-don't you think we should be able to? Murderer and a liar: "...He was a murderer from the beginning. He has always hated the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies it is consistent with his character; for he is a liar and the father of all lies." John 8:44 nlt Christ followers are PROTECTED in Christ:We're free from any charge against us (Rom 8:31-34)We're hidden with Christ in God (Col 3:3)We're born of God & the evil one cannot touch us (1 John 5:18) BIG IDEA:Want to limit the devil's influence in your life? Allow God to increase His influence in your life. Are you following your heart or following God? Ask yourself these questions to lead you to the answer:What do you think most about?Where does your money go?How do you spend your time? "So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you."James 4:7 nlt I'll have my entire message text on my website shortly http://morgancafe.com If online giving could serve you while you're vacationing this summer check our website http://oakbrookchurch.com/give/ Enjoy your vacation-but be sure to ask Him along in all you do, everyday! This still holds true, even during the summer: "Don't just TALK about it, BE about it!" Peace, -Morgan U Blog: What do think about our current series "Five Lies of the Devil?" What's your reaction to yesterday's talk? >blog home<      Monday Morning Recap 2010-07-06T14:48:40+00:00 http://www.oakbrookchurch.com//blog/entry/monday_recap_06.28 http://www.oakbrookchurch.com/site/monday_recap_06.28/#When:19:33:59Z Thanks to those of you who've taken us up on our online giving challenge! You can still sign up thru our website http://oakbrookchurch.com/giveIf you have trouble navigating the web, or if signing up for this intimidates you - please contact Karl Stoneking and he'll be glad to walk you through it here at the church or over the phone. 765.455.1100 ext 206. Karl@oakbrookchurch.com In case you missed it yesterday, Lakeside Books is now downstairs next to the Café! Linda McFatridge and Barb Brown (its volunteer leaders) really enjoyed seeing all the people who wandered in to see it. Make sure you check it out - it's an amazing offering in a great new location. Did you like the "old school" prelude yesterday? That was "Chicago Song" by David Sanborn. You probably don't know that in the 1980s Monty Sanders regularly played that song at his Wed. night light jazz gigs at Shenanigans Pub (currently El Arriero). A lot of us older musicians played lots of places before we played at Oakbrook Mark did a great job concluding our "Practical Atheist" series with, "We believe in God...but are still ashamed of our past." Here are some highlights: "Shame usually follows a pattern-a cycle of self-recrimination and lies that claim life after life. First, we experience an intensely painful event. Second, we believe the lie that our pain and failure is who we are-not just something we've done, or had done to us-and we experience shame. And finally, our feelings of shame trap us into thinking that we can never recover-that, in fact, we don't even deserve to." -Craig Groeschel "Christian Atheist" "Don't let your past pain define your present reality." Steps to freedom from our past mistakes: 1. Accept that which cannot be changed.Accept it. If you've made a mistake, let the reality sink enough to break you-get to an honest place of repentance (feel regret). "Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin...Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me." Psalm 51:1-2, 10-12 2. Believe that God can change your future. "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness."I John 1:9 God can wash away our past mistakes as simply as we could shake the Etch-a-Sketch we played with as children. If we will give our sin to God, as Vance Havner said, "God buries our sin in the depths of the sea and then puts up a ‘No Fishing' sign." Don't miss the next series "Five Lies of the Devil"- it kicks off next Sun. Check out the hilarious promo video on our website www.oakbrookchurch.com Couple questions you could reply to on our blog: Why do you think it's so hard to let go of your past mistakes?Do you have an encouraging story of how you got free from a past mistake?   >blog home<   Monday Morning Recap 2010-06-28T19:33:59+00:00 http://www.oakbrookchurch.com//blog/entry/monday_morning_recap_06.14 http://www.oakbrookchurch.com/site/monday_morning_recap_06.14/#When:12:17:29Z A few thoughts on a GREAT day... *I'm really enjoying the Practical Atheist series...hope you are as well. *The book The Christian Atheist by Craig Groeschel is really good. Available at Lakeside Books. Rumor has it Lakeside Books is moving downstairs-stay tuned! Don't forget the bookstore is open on Mondays 10AM-3PM. *Jlee was right-I did get a melody line stuck in my head yesterday...Forever I'm change by mecry...Want to know more about the songs we sang yesterday? Check out Jlee's blog for more information-http://www.clearlychaos.com/ *You ever tried to find happiness this way? Better Possessions + Peaceful Circumstances + Thrilling Experiences + The Right Relationships + The Perfect Appearance = HAPPINESS. Its the American way but it never works (although an iphone4 might help a little). *Try finding happiness Solomon's way-Fear God, and obey his commands. Imagine what would happen to your life if you lived out this formula for happiness. Make Ecclesiastes 12:13 your life goal! Life only works when you follow God's commands. *Thanks to everyone who is joining the Generous Summer Movement! More and more of you are giving online...way to go! Sign up here-https://giving.oakbrookchurch.com/ *Please stay faithful in your summer giving. FYI-we had to transfer $10,000 out of savings to cover Mays expenses. Mays giving fell short of what is needed. This is not something we can afford to do each month! Again, please stay faithful in your giving! *I love the life story of Craig Eddy I showed at the end of my talk. For those of you who own business have you ever thought about doing something like this to reach your employee's? Who knows what God might do. Watch Craig's story here...http://www.highway66.org/ *The Wave of Generosity keeps growing! Thanks to all who made this possible in Haiti. Keep praying for Curtis Stout as he minsters to the next generation in Haiti... *If you have dental or medical experience consider joining Dr. Jeffery Bennett and Dr. Tom Hearn on a dental trip to Haiti this coming Sept. 11-18th, 2010. If you are interested call 455-1100. Don't Just Talk About It...Be About It! Love Doing Church with You Guys, Mark <blog home> Monday Morning Recap 2010-06-14T12:17:29+00:00 http://www.oakbrookchurch.com//blog/entry/monday_morning_recap_06.07 http://www.oakbrookchurch.com/site/monday_morning_recap_06.07/#When:13:00:44Z A few Monday morning thoughts from another great Sunday at Oakbrook... As I sat and watched our musicians flat out kill the Prelude yesterday...I felt so fortunate to be in a church where gifted and humble servants use their gifts for a higher calling. What about you? How are you using your giftedness to help people find Christ and learn to live like him? The big idea of The Practical Atheist series is really challenging me as I teach through it. We believe in God yet in many ways live as if He doesn't exist. I'm hoping to not only believe in God this week-but live like I do...join me. Two of my favorite quotes from the talk yesterday: 1. Bitterness is like drinking poison and then waiting for the other person to die. 2. To forgive is to set a prisoner free and discover that the prisoner is you. As a way to reinforce the truth from yesterdays talk spend some time here this week: Ephesians 4:31-32; Hebrews 12:15; Luke 6:28; Matthew 5:43-44. Talked with several people who need to let go and forgive. Praying lots of people will find the freedom and healing that forgiveness brings us. So thankful for people like Ryan and Elizabeth Peacock and hundreds of others who faithfully support the mission of Oakbrook financially! I must say Ryan looked awesome in that Michigan shirt! Join the Generous Summer Movement by giving online! It is convenient, user-friendly and most importantly it will help you stay consistent in your giving even when your not at a weekend service! We need 50 people to go here and get started...http://www.oakbrookchurch.com/give/ ...NEW GIVERS WELCOMED! I was really proud of the Oakbrook Band as they performed Friday evening downtown at the Kokomo Arts Pavilion. You represented us well band! Way to go. On a personal note-our family celebrated my grandson Mason's 4th birthday yesterday after church! Hard to believe he is 4 already. I'm so blessed to have this little man in my life... As always...Don't Just Talk About It...Be About...Helping People Find Jesus and Live Like Him...this week! Love Doing Church With You Guys, Mark   Monday Morning Recap 2010-06-07T13:00:44+00:00 http://www.oakbrookchurch.com//blog/entry/monday_morning_recap_05.31 http://www.oakbrookchurch.com/site/monday_morning_recap_05.31/#When:15:04:18Z Happy Memorial Day, friends. Let us all take a moment and remember all the men and women who've served to protect our great nation. My late father served in WWII in Europe in the armored infantry. He was in the thick of it in Germany and surrounding countries. I have a great respect for him and everyone who's worn the uniform. Can you say "dominate?" Dario Franchitti won his 2nd 500 and lead 155 out of 200 laps! Oh, if I could only watch the race on TV in real time instead of after it's over Hey church, way to "get your Bookstore on" yesterday---we sold out of the book Christian Atheist! Our bookstore manager, Linda McFatridge, will have more in next Sun. http://christianatheist.com/ I really enjoyed the new worship song "Forever Changed." Check it out on YouTubehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4zofKdNmyx8 Message highlights: For a transcript of the talk in pdf: http://morgancafe.homestead.com/practical_atheist_web.pdf Paul talks about "Practical Atheists" in his day (2 Timothy 3:1-5) http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2%20Timothy%203:1-5&version=MSG Here is the source for the statistics I shared: http://www.barna.org/faith-spirituality/325-barna-studies-the-research-offers-a-year-in-review-perspective Feeling the sting of conviction is good for us-it has the potential to make us draw us closer to God. (2 Corinthians 7:8-13) http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2%20Corinthians%207:8-13&version=MSG   Monday Morning Recap 2010-05-31T15:04:18+00:00 http://www.oakbrookchurch.com//blog/entry/monday_morning_recap_05.24 http://www.oakbrookchurch.com/site/monday_morning_recap_05.24/#When:12:22:16Z A few thoughts from yesterday.... *The Staying in Love series by Andy Stanley was some of the best Biblical information I have ever heard regarding lasting relationships...thats why i wanted to share it with you guys. *If you would like to here more of Andy's teaching you can here...www.northpoint.org *What if we really "Believed the Best" in the gap between Expectation and Behavior??? *The short film and song package was awesome! Thanks for all the hard work Creative Arts Team! *Online Giving...Online Giving...Online Giving...Online Giving...Online Giving...Online Giving...Online Giving...Online Giving...Online Giving...http://www.oakbrookchurch.com/give/...a great way to stay consistent in giving during the summer months. *How about that Curtis Stout? I love that guy! Thanks for supporting his soccer team in Haiti. All the cleats were purchased in a matter of minutes and several people donated more...WAY TO GO Oakbrook! *Stay in touch with Curtis by email...soccer7@hotmail.com. And you can also follow him on Facebook. *Really excited about the new series that starts this weekend...Practical Atheist. You ever wonder why people who believe in God live as if He doesn't really exist? For example why do people who believe in God, refuse to forgive others? Or why do people who believe in God, worry all the time? Or why do people who believe in God, pursue happiness at all cost? Can't wait to dig into this series! Don't miss a week...if your in town be here! *A lot of you wondered how my daughter Mandy's wedding went...it was beautiful! Thanks for your prayers. As always...D.J.T.A.I.B.A.I! Love Doing Dhurch with You Guys!! Mark >blog home< Monday Morning Recap 2010-05-24T12:22:16+00:00 http://www.oakbrookchurch.com//blog/entry/haiti_update_curtis_stout http://www.oakbrookchurch.com/site/haiti_update_curtis_stout/#When:19:18:55Z One of our very own, Curtis Stout, has been in Haiti since Jan. 1 (pre-earthquake) and has committed to being there until the end of September. While we were in Haiti, Brigit and I had the chance to spend 4 days serving alongside of Curtis. He is doing a fantastic job teaching English and he has also launched a soccer program which includes an 18u team that he coaches! Here are some pics of Curtis in action but let me represent the Oakbrook family by saying, "Way to go Curtis. We are so proud of you!" Brigit and I were personal witnesses to the way God is using Curtis to touch these children's lives with the love of Christ and we are convinced that his efforts will have ETERNAL rewards. ps...check out the 'feet' pics. These were taken of the kids that were playing soccer. Curtis would like to see each child that comes to his soccer school provided with some adequate footwear so we have decided to partner with him on this project. Don't miss this great opportunity to be a part of something special. Details to come this weekend!     Haiti 2010-05-20T19:18:55+00:00 http://www.oakbrookchurch.com//blog/entry/the_monday_recap http://www.oakbrookchurch.com/site/the_monday_recap/#When:16:07:24Z Wow-what a powerful talk by Andy Stanley! And what a great illustration with "Mr. & Mrs. Mug." If you missed this talk, you can download it for a measly "buck" from Northpoint's website: CLICK HERE The Malin's attended their daughter Mandy's marriage to now son-in-law, Ben Snider. Please keep them in your prayers for safe travels back to Kokomo and for Mandy and Ben's new marriage. Global Leadership Summit: Tues midnight is the last chance for the super low price of $95. Get more info and purchase your ticket thru our website HERE. Thanks to all who rolled their sleeves to give blood Sun. morning to help the Red Cross. Here are some quotes from Andy Stanley's talk: We all have stuff that's "in there." That's why stuff comes out. Proverbs 4:23 Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it. Your ability to feel certain things is determined by the condition of your heart. Your ability to stay in love has as much to with the condition of your heart-as it does with your spouse. What's in you will eventually come out of you, regardless of who's with you. A lot of info Andy mentioned is further explained in his series "It Came from Within."DVD |  BOOK Andy's talked hinged on this process: 1. Stop and think about what you're feeling before you speak. 2. Name your emotion.(i.e. anger, left out, embarrassed, unappreciated, ugly, unlovable, failure, old, stupid, lonely, abandoned, scared, out of control, betrayed, picked-on, jealous, disrespected.) 3. Then say it out loud-to yourself at first, then later to your partner. "I feel _____________." "Mrs. Mug, when you say/do ___________, I feel _____________." Response: "I'm so glad you told me." (then be quiet) Much of what we feel is stuff we brought to the relationship. Healthy people stop doing the things that elicit negative reactions in others. To stay in love: pay attention to your heart. God, help me overcome the things inside me. This talk made me think of a lot of the baggage I brought to my marriage. Some of it I've overcome, some I haven't. It made me also think about how my actions today are contributing to my kids' future relational health or future "baggage." What did this talk bring to your mind?   Monday Morning Recap 2010-05-17T16:07:24+00:00 http://www.oakbrookchurch.com//blog/entry/haiti_update_spring_2010 http://www.oakbrookchurch.com/site/haiti_update_spring_2010/#When:14:17:31Z Haiti Update Spring 2010 How do you put into words the state of the poorest country in the Western hemisphere after a devastating earthquake? You don't. And I'm not going to try. But amazingly, the people of Haiti continue to press on despite the chaos that they find themselves embalmed in every day. Unfortunately, due to the post-earthquake realities facing Haiti, Oakbrook's team trip to Haiti was canceled but God left the door open for Brigit and I to still go. The purpose of our trip was two-fold: to continue building bridges 'on the ground' with Double Harvest and Heart to Heart, the missions we have been led to partner with and to also treat any orthopedic injuries needing some attention (for those of you that didn't know, I am also a physical therapist). The first 2 days of our trip were spent at Heart to Heart, an orphanage that was hit hard by the earthquake. This was actually the first time anyone from our church had been to H2H, so it was important for us to see this incredible place function in 'real' time and to witness the destruction brought on by the earthquake. As I write this, all 114 orphans continue to live in tents along with their provider Pastor Luc. Because their kitchen and dining hall collapsed, they eat, cook, and clean under a few trees. There is also a school at H2H that serves 400+ students but it was all but destroyed in the earthquake as well. Despite the devastation, the children seem happy and H2H is well under way to starting all over again. In fact, a team arrived while we were there to begin the construction of a temporary shelter to eat and cook in. Temporary housing has also been built for serving teams to stay in. The other main piece of H2H is their church, a beautiful building that suffered a lot of damage. For now, this local community church has relocated under the cover of many tarps but this has not squashed their faith as many people are finding Christ. So what is our role with Heart to Heart in the days ahead? That is yet to be seen, but here is something to consider: each child needs 4 sponsors to provide for their care. Heart to Heart is still about 100 sponsorships short of meeting this need which costs about $35/month. What if our church took care of this need? I know we can and I assure you that this is an organization we can trust and is committed to the spiritual, physical, and emotional development of these children. These are amazing kids that have been dealt the worst of circumstances. Call the church or email me (jason@oakbrookchurch.com) if you want to become a sponsor or would like some additional information. Part two of our trip took us back to Double Harvest, the mission that all of our teams have served at in the past. Double Harvest is an agricultural mission foremost but their other focuses include a medical clinic, a school, and a church. Fortunately, DH was not impacted greatly from an earthquake standpoint so it became a major orthopedic hospital for the months that followed the disaster. Things have finally slowed down and some normalcy is returning so it was good to meet with Arthur Spalding (missionary) and to dream about the future. He informed Brigit and I that the church has just exploded over the past several months. The explosion started after our church sent a team down in November to help them with a crusade and then the earthquake lit a fire of spiritual renewal in the hearts of the Haitian people. Arthur said the church has grown so much that they are no longer meeting in their building and they have also outgrown an outdoor shelter they have been using. He said they are praying for the resource and ability to build a new church so they can meet the demands of the ministry. How exciting is that!! Pray about our ability to partner with this sister church in Haiti as they seek to share the message of Jesus in their community. I was also provided with a list at Double Harvest containing the names of nearly 20 patients within walking distance that had been seen at the clinic for various orthopedic injuries after the earthquake. Our mission was to go and find these people and to see how they were doing. What an adventure! Each day we would walk to 2-3 villages and find the people on the list. With the assistance of a translator, I was able to assess and schedule future follow-up for those that needed it. In one case, we came across a 13 year old boy who still had a fixator in his leg. This should have been removed a long time ago and its a miracle no infection had set in. This little guy also had a badly broken arm that needed surgery. I could tell you many many stories but I will leave you with some pictures. Brigit and I are so thankful for those of you that prayed for us! Going into remote villages all by ourselves was quite intimidating and not without many risks so your prayers for our safety were answered. Our goal at Oakbrook will be to continue to take at least 3 teams/year to Haiti in the days ahead as God leads. There is so much need but ultimately they need Jesus. We are sending a team in July and later this fall. Some of the trips are open and some are closed but if you would like to consider going please let me or Gretchen Lee know! I will let these pics tell the rest of the story but don't forget to consider sponsoring an orphan....I would love for Oakbrook to answer the call and get all of these kids taken care of. Don't Just Talk About It, Be About It! Jason Braun Post Earth Quake Port-Au-Prince: Heart to Heart Mission: Directors of Heart to Heart: Physical therapy near Double Harvest: Arthur and Becky Spalding (Missionaries at Double Harvest) >blog home<  Haiti 2010-05-13T14:17:31+00:00 http://www.oakbrookchurch.com//blog/entry/monday_morning_recap_05.10 http://www.oakbrookchurch.com/site/monday_morning_recap_05.10/#When:16:46:58Z A few thoughts on an awesome Mothers Day! Hope all the Moms had a great day yesterday! If you want to see a living example of Phil. 2:3-8 just look at a mom. Thanks for all you do Mom's. Falling in love requires a pulse...Staying in Love requires a plan. Phil. 2:3-8 is the plan. The truth in this passage is powerful..."in humility value others above yourself"..."not looking to your own interest but each of you to the interest of others." Imagine how these two principles will change your relationships when you act on them! Make love a verb this week. Even if he/she doesn't respond back...you lead-start loving like Christ loves you. This Sunday's talk from Andy Stanley is powerful!! Get there and bring someone with you! A simple invite could change someones life. Some upcoming activities that matter...Red Cross Blood Drive this Sunday. Give blood and save a life. The Global Leadership Summit 2010...sign up by May 18 at a much lower rate-$95. More info. here...http://www.oakbrookchurch.com/leadershipsummit_2010 Take a look at this and then take a next step this week...http://www.oakbrookchurch.com/our_mission_vision/ Believe it or not summer is coming! Time for me to challenge you guys to keep your giving to the mission of Oakbrook consistent throughout the summer. We are now offering online giving to help. We tell you more about it this Sunday. Well, time for me to get to moving. Got to work the 2-10 shift at Taco Bell today As Always...Don't Just Talk About It...Be About It! Love Doing Church With You Guys! Mark   2010-05-10T16:46:58+00:00 http://www.oakbrookchurch.com//blog/entry/monday_morning_recap_05.03 http://www.oakbrookchurch.com/site/monday_morning_recap_05.03/#When:12:20:25Z Great Day at Oakbrook! Here are a few thoughts. Thanks for taking to the time to read them... I absolutely loved the "ultimate love song" medley at the start of the service! 12 songs from the past 30 years done in 7 minutes! So fun! Big thanks to the team for all the hard work!! Sorry that so many of you did not get a handout at the end of the service. We printed 700 and ran out! Here's how you can get one...go to...http://tinyurl.com/28sode7...scrolled down and click "download pdf". Again sorry! What did you think of Andy Stanley's talk? Not bad huh? He is one of my favorite communicators. Remember...Make...Love...a...Verb. How? Mutual Submission-putting the other person first. This simple Biblical principle is how you Stay in Love. Thanks to all of you for being open to video teaching every once in a while. In my humble opinion video teaching is just as effective as live teaching once you get used to it. Don't forget to use the discussion questions posted at our website. Set some time aside and use these questions to go deeper with your spouse, friends and small group. Kidstuf was flat out awesome yesterday! The value of the month is patience and they taught it to parents and kids in such a creative way! So proud of our family ministry team at Oakbrook. This Friday we host the Chick-Fil-A Leadercast at Oakbrook. I can't wait to learn from some of the greatest leaders out there! Hope to see you there. Here's some more info...http://tinyurl.com/2dm7c35 All books on marriage and mothers are 15% off right now at Lakeside Books. Stop by and pick up a book-it could change your life. This Sunday will be awesome-Mothers Day-Baby Dedication and Pt. 2 of Staying in Love. Can't wait!! As always...Don't Just Talk About It...Be About It! Love Doing Church With You Guys! Mark   <blog home> Monday Morning Recap 2010-05-03T12:20:25+00:00 http://www.oakbrookchurch.com//blog/entry/monday_morning_recap_04.26 http://www.oakbrookchurch.com/site/monday_morning_recap_04.26/#When:17:47:06Z Watching people walk into the auditorium yesterday carrying grocery sack after grocery sack full of food is something I will never forget! What a great day of generosity at Oakbrook! Big thanks to Lee Southwell and a group of people who helped coordinate the Food Drive 2010-great job Lee and team! The truck was full and I heard when the Kokomo Urban Outreach team saw the truck door open their mouths hit the floor! They were blown away by the generosity of Oakbrook. How fun is that? Lee told me that Jeff Newton the Director of KUO said about 20 times (no exaggeration), "I can't believe this, this is amazing! You don't know how much we need this. * A Oakbrook high school girl spent over $100 of her own money to purchase food for the needy. I think she brought in 8 bags of groceries!! Amazing. So once again-Way To Go Everybody! Food Drive 2010 was such a wonderful example of the power of Corporate Compassion. Now lets keep it going each week with some serious Organic Compassion-Ephesians 2:10! Mow a yard, give someone a Book/Bible, write an encouraging note, give to a local food pantry, take a elderly person grocery shopping, bring a co-worker some Starbucks, prepare a meal, mentor a child, babysit for a young couple, volunteer at Oakbrook...you get the idea. Lets compassionately lead people to Christ! Everyday live in the zone of the "good works that God has prepared in advance" for you to do! Want to change and grow? Who doesn't? Then get yourself to the Chick-Fil-A Leadercast on May 7th at Oakbrook. This will be an incredible day of learning and growing. More information HERE. I'm asking every Oakbrook Small Group Leader, every Oakbrook Volunteer to attend the Chick-Fil-A Leadercast if possible. John Maxwell says, "Everything rises and falls on leadership." This is so true-Oakbrook will get stronger and more effective when we as leader get stronger and more effective. So please do whatever you can to be here for this great day of learning! New Series starts this weekend called Staying in Love. We all know what it takes to fall in love-a pulse! Falling in love is easy but staying in love for the long haul? Thats something else entirely. Is it possible to fall in love and stay there? Absolutely and for the next 4 weeks we are going to learn how. Staying in Love is an awesome opportunity to invite your friends to come with you and learn. Know anybody that is considering getting married, know anybody that is married but there marriage needs improvement, know anybody with a marriage in trouble? Please, please invite them. This series has the potential to protect and save relationships! As Always...Don't Just Talk About It...say it with me...Be ____ __! Love Doing Church with You Guys! Mark >blog home< Monday Morning Recap 2010-04-26T17:47:06+00:00 http://www.oakbrookchurch.com//blog/entry/monday_morning_recap_04.19 http://www.oakbrookchurch.com/site/monday_morning_recap_04.19/#When:11:44:21Z A few thoughts on a GREAT day... Ronda and I had so much fun meeting everybody at Coffee Talk after the service. So many new faces! Thanks to all of you who waited in line so that we could meet you. God is drawing so many great people to our church! Big thanks to our music and tech crew for putting in a very full days work yesterday! Many of them started very early in the morning and then came back to produce the Worship and Prayer service last night. Job well done everybody and thanks for serving us so well. Thanks to all of you who are inviting your friends to Oakbrook each week. Almost everyone we met yesterday at Coffee Talk was invited by a friend or family member. 25% of people who don't go to church say they would come if someone invited them! I loved the challenge of James 2:14-18! We are not what we say, we are what we do. Faith without action is dead. Hows your faith? Is it real, is it authentic? Can you back it up with a life of deeds and good works which God has prepared in advance for you to do? I can't wait to hear the stories that God will write as we all begin to live a life of Organic Compassion. Open your eyes this week and look for opportunities that God will put in front of you to serve and love people. Then when you see that opportunity...do it! I heard about a small group that is giving $400 a month for the next 6 months to a person who has some challenging health needs and can't afford the cost of medical bills. Now that some serious Organic Compassion! God is smiling. Don't forget to pray for Jason and Brigit Braun and Curtis Stout as they serve in Haiti this week. There is a great learning opportunity coming to Oakbrook on May 7th. The Chick-Fil-A Leadercast. This is a one day leadership event that we have the privilege of hosting in our main auditorium. Check it out here for more info. http://www.chick-fil-aleadercast.com/ * Got to pray last night at the Worship and Prayer service for a group of people who are starting a church in Logansport, IN this coming fall. The church is Revolution Community Church-I love that name! Anthony and Shawna Cozzello are leading a great group of people in this great adventure. Join me in praying for this Revolution! One more thing...don't forget to bring your grocery bag full of food as we help re-stock local food pantries in Kokomo. With unemployment near 15% there are lots and lots of people in need. We are blessed by God to be a blessing so get to the stores this week, fill up those bags and then bring them next Sunday and place them on the stage. As always...Don't Just Talk About It...Be About It...(Thats what James 2 is all about). Love Doing Church With You Guys, Mark >blog home< Monday Morning Recap 2010-04-19T11:44:21+00:00 http://www.oakbrookchurch.com//blog/entry/monday_morning_recap http://www.oakbrookchurch.com/site/monday_morning_recap/#When:15:21:05Z I just have to say that yesterday was one of my favorite sunday morning experiences in a long time.  (not counting Christmas or Easter... of course)   I mean, how could you not love time spent in worship, the Oakbrook Quiz Show with Morgan Young, and my son Nicholas telling us the story of Jonah through the eyes of a 3 year old?  It still amazes me that I get to do this every week.   I was so proud of our OSM students & leaders this past weekend who went on our trip to Chicago.  They impacted a lot of people and I know that what they did will continue to impact many more that they will never even meet.  WAY TO GO! I love whenever we talk about compassion (showing God's love to people).  I feel like the church is at its best when we are showing compassion to the world.  Let's learn a lesson from Jonah and let compassion flow out of our hearts instead of waiting for it to be pried out of us.  I hope that we take the challenge I set before us this week.  fill those bags for the food drive and bring them back in two weeks, and do something out of love and kindness for your neighbors this week.  Let's be more like Jesus than ever in the next 7 days!   We're ALIVE & RUNNING TO THE WORLD!   >blog home< Monday Morning Recap 2010-04-12T15:21:05+00:00 http://www.oakbrookchurch.com//blog/entry/monday_morning_recap_04.05 http://www.oakbrookchurch.com/site/monday_morning_recap_04.05/#When:12:03:48Z It's Monday morning and I am still stoked about the Easter experience yesterday at Oakbrook! Big, big thanks to all the volunteers and staff teams for pulling off another amazing Easter experience. Way to go everybody! Yesterday was Oakbrook's 24th Easter experience. I have to be honest. Each year I get a bit nervous wondering if we will be able to create another Easter experience that will be moving and fresh and most importantly pleasing to God. But by God's grace our team did it again yesterday! After 24 years of awesome experiences...I need to relax I loved the theme that our team came up with for Easter-ALIVE! Hoping and praying that more and more Oakbrook attenders will chose to live this way. Life is way to short to live any other way. So, I ask you again-are you ALIVE...what are the "good works" God has your name on? Did the stage set, lights, video, graphics look "sick" or what!? (bty-sick is a term I hear my younger friends use...it means cool/awesome. My generation said "bad" which really meant "good"). Anyway, a huge shout out to those who work so hard making the set look "sick." Your efforts greatly enhanced the worship experience! I love it when our team goes the extra mile in details to take an experience over the top. Like painting the stage to match the ALIVE graphic (did you notice?) This kind of effort takes a lot of time and hard work but I believe it honors God and reflects his love for excellence. I absolutely loved hearing the ALIVE stories at the end of the service! Hearing stories of life change never gets old! And you guys...there are thousands more stories to be told in Kokomo! This is what Oakbrook is all about...Helping People Find Jesus and Live Like Him! Big thanks to all of you who brought friends and family with you. Don't let Christmas be the next time you invite them back. Do it this week! A lot of the music used for both Good Friday and Easter can be found on a newly released CD from Passion-Awakening. I picked up a copy of it last week at Lakeside Books and it is one of the best CD's I have listened to in a long time. You need to get a copy of this one you guys!! Available at Lakeside Books. Can't wait to start the next series this Sunday-ALIVE and RUNNING! Get ready to be challenged to live like Jesus more than you ever have before! You up for it?? One more thing......Go Butler Bulldogs!! Don't Just Talk About It...Be About It! Love doing church with you guys! Mark   >blog home< Monday Morning Recap 2010-04-05T12:03:48+00:00 http://www.oakbrookchurch.com//blog/entry/monday_morning_recap_03.29 http://www.oakbrookchurch.com/site/monday_morning_recap_03.29/#When:13:01:42Z If you were in the auditorium yesterday and didn't walk out feeling uplifted and moved, you should check your pulse After Aubri's song "How Deep the Father's Love for Us" (listen on youtube) my voice shaky; I was caught off guard by the power, truth and imagery of Christ on the Cross. I used to try to suppress such emotion-but now I simply let it out hoping people will sense the Spirit that is provoking me. Then later, as I was talking us into taking the bread and cup, I caught my friend, Al, out of the corner of my eye. He was bowed and had my communion in his hand. That really hit me hard. I know he's been going through some tough soul-shaking things in his life. The kind of things where people sometimes turn away from God. So to see him there in the posture of servanthood-serving me communion-I just couldn't let him get away. I think we could both sense God in that tight meaningful hug. Sometimes it's good to be there for one another-even if it is on stage during communion. And I love to see my friend Mike smiling while playing his guitar. It has special meaning to me now-since doctors clearly said over a year ago, that he would in no uncertain terms, being playing rockin' guitar in church on Palm Sunday 2010. It's good for my soul to see evidence of answered prayers when those kind of prayers don't always get answered the way I'd like. Way to go, Mike. Way to go, God. After the dust settled from Joel, Dave and the world's most dangerous church band leading us through worship---I couldn't think of a better way to jump start me into Easter week. A strong sense of the Holy Spirit is the pinnacle of things I hope for-and I felt Him strongly Sun. How about you? See you Friday @ 7pm for Good Friday and then Sun at 9 or 11am. Thanks for listening and engaging Sunday. -Morgan   >blog home< Monday Morning Recap 2010-03-29T13:01:42+00:00 http://www.oakbrookchurch.com//blog/entry/easter_2010_alive_-behind_the_scenes http://www.oakbrookchurch.com/site/easter_2010_alive_-behind_the_scenes/#When:13:52:21Z Easter is coming!!!!  Can you believe it's only a week a day from Good Friday?  Crazy.  All of us in the creative arts & programming world are SOOO excited for how the Easter Experience is shaping up!  You're not gonna want to miss it!  There's so much that goes into these big productions... and so much fun stuff we're getting ready for Easter weekend... check out some behind the scenes pics:We're gonna be doing some painting: Somebody generously DONATED money for us to purchase some AWESOME new lights for the stage!!! They're gonna look so sweet...We're painting some more stuff... and we're building something crazy... you won't believe it till you see it. So please pray for all the teams of people pulling together to make this experience unforgettable!!!OH... and don't miss this EASTER... it's gonna be awesome!Jason  (a.k.a "jlee") >blog home< Weekend Experiences 2010-03-25T13:52:21+00:00 http://www.oakbrookchurch.com//blog/entry/monday_morning_recap_03.22 http://www.oakbrookchurch.com/site/monday_morning_recap_03.22/#When:17:15:03Z My thoughts from a truly amazing day at Oakbrook... *Wow...in all the years I have been in ministry (25+) yesterday was one of the most powerful services I have ever been a part of! *There is something about the Ritual of Baptism. Nothing captures the life changing power of the gospel quite like Baptism. *Congratulations to everyone who walk into the waters yesterday and publicly proclaimed that Jesus Christ is the Savior and Leader of their life! So proud of you guys!! *Way to go everyone who decided to get Baptized during the service yesterday! That took some courage and again I am so proud of those who stepped out and responding to God!! *When we were almost done baptizing people a girl whose Dad and sister got baptized earlier in the service decided right then that she wanted to be baptized. So she ran out to change her clothes as we waited for her. I will never forget watching her hurry down front to the stage! I'm telling you I would have waited all day for her!! Only God. *I am so thankful to serve at a church that God is using to draw people to himself. That never gets old! *And isn't it such a powerful experience to worship God while people are being Baptized? To sing about our great God while we seeing people going public is so powerful. *Many have asked about the new song we learned yesterday called Our God. It is a song written and performed by Chris Tomlin. You can find it on a new recording by Passion called Awakening. You can get it at itunes or at Lakeside Books. The whole album is awesome. *This Sunday is our final week in the Ritual series. The last Ritual we are unpacking is the Ritual of Communion. Be praying this week for Morgan Young as he prepares this final talk on Communion. Should be a great way to end this series. *Good Friday and Easter are only 2 weeks away! The Good Friday service is at 7PM and then Easter services on Sunday at 9 & 11AM. Please be praying that God will use these services to draw more people to himself. And if you are coming don't come alone. Grab some invite cards and get them in the hands of your friends and family. You will be so glad you did. Who knows maybe someday you will be walking into the waters of baptism with them!! As always....Don't Just Talk About It-Be About It! Love doing church with you guys, Mark >blog home< Monday Morning Recap 2010-03-22T17:15:03+00:00 http://www.oakbrookchurch.com//blog/entry/monday_morning_recap_03.15 http://www.oakbrookchurch.com/site/monday_morning_recap_03.15/#When:13:08:03Z Some thoughts from another amazing day at Oakbrook... Way to go everyone who turned your clocks forward and made it yesterday! DST has been going on for a few years in Indiana but I got to admit it takes a few days to make the adjustment. Big thanks to the Cafe' Team for the free coffee yesterday! If you didn't see it check out the new wall clock in the cafe'. Very cool. Big thanks to Sandra Young and Robyn Whaley for hooking us up...looks great! Loved the prelude! I have been a Journey fan for a long time. Macey Rice and the band killed it!! Hope you heard the message of the song...Don't Stop Believing! I heard Kidstuf was fantastic yesterday. I didn't know Monty Sanders could act?? Is there anything he can't do? If you have never experienced Kidstuf you should-it is such a great environment! Pray for the Kidstuf team as they take it to Western Schools this week! Today starts the 28 Day Challenge I laid down yesterday. Read your Bible for 28 days straight and you will establish a new habit of reading Gods word each day. I'm praying hundreds of you will take the challenge. It will only take 5-15 minutes a day and yet it will transform your life! You can do it. Good Friday and Easter services are just around the corner! Please join me in praying that God will use these service to draw more and more people to Himself. It will be a full weekend of worship. Good Friday 7pm. Easter 9 and 11PM. Don't forget Classes this Wednesday. If you are a fan of Francis Chan the Leadership class is watching a video of Francis. It is not to late to join any of the Classes. For those of you who brought a tithe yesterday...way to go! Now keep it up. You are blessed to be a blessing. Ritual of Meditation. 101-Bible Reading...201-Meditation...301-Obedience. Hoping and praying that Oakbrook will become a church full of "self-feeders." Don't forget to feed yourself some of God's word each day! * This Sunday we will be celebrating Baptism!! It is not to late to sign up...www.oakbrookchurch.com. Don't Just Talk About It, Be About It! Love Doing Church With You Guys, Mark   >blog home< Monday Morning Recap 2010-03-15T13:08:03+00:00 http://www.oakbrookchurch.com//blog/entry/monday_morning_recap_03.08 http://www.oakbrookchurch.com/site/monday_morning_recap_03.08/#When:07:00:01Z Some of my thoughts from yesterday... Thanks to all who came yesterday in spite of the nice weather! A Pastor I follow on twitter told his congregation if they didn't come to church Sunday God was going to send the 6 more months of winter!! Loving the warmer temps! Spring is coming. Theres always a nice spirit in the air when the sun is shinning after a long gray winter. Parents don't forget Kidstuf will be happening in the warehouse next Sunday after the morning service. And please pray for the Kidstuf team this Friday as they take the show on the road to Kokomo Center Schools! * Give...Save...Live on the Rest. This is God's way. I really enjoyed talking on tithing yesterday. I'm praying and dreaming that more and more of you will begin practicing this Ritual each week. Tithing is so much more than an obligation it is an opportunity to receive God's blessing in your life! This week spend some time in Luke 12 and Malachi 3. Let the truth of these passages change your life. Are you a giver? Are you generous? Take a look at your checkbook and you will find the answer. Jesus said, "Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." How we spend our money reveals our priorities. I have taught a lot on tithing over the years and the people who don't like it are the ones who...are you ready...have never done it! Those who do it love it because it works and it feels so good to be generous. Tithing = Trusting. Do you believe God can do more with 90% than you can do with 100% of your income? I challenge you again...bring a tithe with you to church next Sunday. Remember-God doesn't need your money he wants you to trust him and he wants to bless you! This Wednesday the Classes@oakbrook on Financial Wisdom is about leaning how to manage the "live on the rest" portion of your income. Please come...even if you didn't make it last week you can still comes. Remember my story...it all started to change for me and Ronda once we got educated.I got to pray after the service with people who are facing some serious challenges because of the recession. Please join me in praying for people who are out of work and struggling to make ends meet. * Thanks to everyone who has been responding to this blog. I love reading your comments...so encouraging! Keep them coming. As always...Don't Just Talk About It...Be About It! Love doing church with you guys, MarkYour Friend >blog home< Monday Morning Recap 2010-03-08T07:00:01+00:00 http://www.oakbrookchurch.com//blog/entry/classes_tonight http://www.oakbrookchurch.com/site/classes_tonight/#When:13:02:51Z Hey everybody... Just want to give one last shout out for the Classes@Oakbrook that start tonight at the church...6:30PM. We are offering 3 great learning and growing experiences. 4 Gospels in 4 Weeks. This classes will give you a clear picture of what Jesus is all about. Leadership Master Class for Emergent Leaders. Learn about Biblical leadership from some of the best-Mark Batterson, Francis Chan etc. Developing Financial Wisdom. Come and learn how to view your cash from a Biblical perspective. I really want to encourage younger newly married couples or those who will soon be married to get in this class. This information will help you navigate one of the biggest challenges in marriage...money management. Knowledge will transform your life! Learn something new this year!! You can register online at...http://www.oakbrookchurch.com/events/page/classes/ Hope to see you tonight! Mark >blog home< 2010-03-03T13:02:51+00:00 http://www.oakbrookchurch.com//blog/entry/monday_morning_recap_03.01 http://www.oakbrookchurch.com/site/monday_morning_recap_03.01/#When:13:05:02Z My thoughts from another great day at Oakbrook... Another great job by our music team during The Prelude! This "You Pick The Prelude" run has been a lot of fun. How did they get Sean Verlee's voice to sync with Bono's...very cool. Classes@Oakbrook begin this week! 3 great classes are offered and there is still time to sign up. Just go to this link to get signed up...http://www.oakbrookchurch.com/events/page/classes Baptism March 21!! If you have never been baptized you should prayerfully consider joining us for our next Baptism service. You can get all the information you need on our website to help you make your decision...http://www.oakbrookchurch.com/baptism_2010. I loved giving the talk yesterday about Altars. This is truly a forgotten Ritual in todays church and we need to bring it back because...Altars help us remember what we should never forget. And they help us mark significant spiritual moments in our lives. Here are the 4 Altars I talked about: Decision Altars, Dream Altars, Thanksgiving Altars, Epiphany Altars. Spend some time this week building your own Altars around these ideas. Mark these significant spiritual moments in your journey with physical altars. Then go to them often to worship and remember who God is and what he has done for you! I had a great time last night in Logansport with the core group of a new church plant-Revolution Church. What an awesome group of people! Pray for Anthony Cozzello the Lead Pastor and his wife Shawna as they begin this great adventure. These guys are true Lion Chasers! Very proud of them. How fun was it to sing Happy Birthday to my 90 year old friend Florence during the service? So thankful we have multiple generations attending Oakbrook! If you think about it this week please pray for some friends at Oakbrook. Jessica Fennell-she recently had a heart valved replaced and is now home recovering. Dan Toor-had a lung biopsy last week and is waiting for the diagnose later this week. Please keep these people and their families in your prayers. Also, don't forget to keep praying for Curtis Stout and Bruce Donaldson as they serve God in Haiti. God is using them in great ways! * Don't forget a blog is 2-way communication. Send me you comments and thoughts! Say it with me friends...Don't Just Talk About It...Be About It! Have a great week! Love doing church with you guys, Mark   >blog home< Monday Morning Recap 2010-03-01T13:05:02+00:00 http://www.oakbrookchurch.com//blog/entry/monday_morning_recap_02.22 http://www.oakbrookchurch.com/site/monday_morning_recap_02.22/#When:14:14:54Z   My thoughts from yesterday… I certainly hope you were able to arrive early enough yesterday to hear the two prelude songs.  Aubri and Macey were amazing as well as the entire band.  I don’t know what I enjoyed more…The songs or the fun I could see our band having as they played those songs from the past.  God has certainly blessed us with great musical talent. How was the rest of your Sabbath yesterday?  I really tried to take some of my own advice…Went home and had a fire in the fireplace, put on some worship music, played two games of Scrabble with my wife (won one lost one)…And then my lovely wife made us one of those “Sunday kind of dinners” you always dream about…Meatloaf, mash potatoes, green beans, rolls, and brownies for desert.  Our daughter came over and joined us for this wonderful meal and then we sat and talked a little while watching a funny movie.  How refreshing to be reminded that the Sabbath is not about “rule keeping”.  The heart of the Sabbath is about two things…Loving God and loving others.  In the midst of doing those two things, we need to rest, remember, reflect and have some recreation.  Sabbath days, like other spiritual disciplines, just won’t happen though.  You need to plan for them. Work on getting things done like house cleaning, grocery shopping, and other errands during the week so that you can enjoy God more on the Sabbath.  Be intentional. Ask yourself those four questions I gave you at the end of the message… What turns my affection toward Jesus? What gets my heart excited about my relationship with Jesus? What brings glory to God? What do I enjoy? Your best Sabbaths will be at the intersection of those four things. Give yourself some time.  Be flexible as you go into this.  Remember to focus on progress and not perfection.  You do no have to be an “Olympic Sabbath Keeper”.  Hey, speaking of the Olympics…How about the USA hockey team defeating Canada?!?!?  (sorry Jason Braun, couldn’t resist) Okay, I would now love to hear some of your comments or thoughts from yesterday.  I had an e-mail this morning from a person telling me how they spent the day by watching a movie with friends, a short nap, nice dinner and conversation with friends.  What about you?  Plan to make any changes after yesterday?     Don’t forget “Classes@Oakbrook” starting March 3rd.  You can sign up on-line.   As always…Just don’t talk about it, be about it.            Karl >blog home<   Monday Morning Recap 2010-02-22T14:14:54+00:00 http://www.oakbrookchurch.com//blog/entry/monday_morning_recap_02.08 http://www.oakbrookchurch.com/site/monday_morning_recap_02.08/#When:13:06:41Z Some thoughts from yesterday... Still surprised this morning by the Colts loss. I really expected them to win. Watched a lot of interviews after the game and was impressed with the classy way the Colts handled the loss. Time to get excited for the draft! Did you hear we get to pick the Preludes coming up in the next series. All middle age women are only allowed to vote once for Bon Jovi! And he is not coming here to sing the song so you won't get to look at him-so vote for Journey! I'm very excited for the new series beginning this weekend "Ritual." We will be diving into stuff like...altars...confession...tithing...sabbath. Should be a blast! Invite a friend!! Talked about some interesting ways to become more generous yesterday. "Giving goals"..."Income ceilings"...imagine what God could do with His resources if we start putting more and more of it into play for His cause! Don't ever forget...we are blessed to bless. Jesus said it..."we are far happier giving than getting." Scarcity Mentality (the more I give, the less I have) vs. Abundance Mentality (the more you give, the more you have)...which do you really live by? What if we really did set income ceilings and giving goals??? My life changed the day I began serving God...seriously. I have never been the same! If your still "spectating" go here... http://www.oakbrookchurch.com/volunteer/...and get in the game of changing the world one life at a time! Spend some time this week here... (CLICK ME!) Did you know blogs are meant to be interactive? Like I write stuff and you comment back. It's lonely when no one ever writes back...first person to comment on this post gets a free drink at Lakeside Cafe' next Sunday on me! * Men-don't forget the great opportunity you have to join a mens group and dig into Tony Dungy's latest book Uncommon. Go for it! Well, time to do a little "table" time this morning. I'm reading a great book "Primal" by Mark Batterson. Want to change your life this week? Read something. As always...Don't Just Talk about It, Let's Be About It. Love doing church with you guys,Mark   Monday Morning Recap 2010-02-08T13:06:41+00:00 http://www.oakbrookchurch.com//blog/entry/monday_morning_recap_02.01 http://www.oakbrookchurch.com/site/monday_morning_recap_02.01/#When:15:02:29Z Another great day at Oakbrook! Some of my thoughts…How cool was it to see all the kids and leaders in UpStreet walking around in their PJ’s yesterday? Yesterday was UpStreet’s annual Pajama Party…lots of fun! I wonder what first-time visitors thought seeing kids walking around in PJ’s Several adults ask me if we could have an adult Pajama Party on a Sunday…uh…no…but if you join the Upstreet team you can!I’m so thankful for Jeremy and Mandy Carter…modern day Lion Chasers! Their influence at Oakbrook is profound and legendary. They will be greatly missed. But I’m so excited to see what God has in store for them next! Please join me as we pray them into God’s next assignment for their lives.Seriously you guys…is there a more important, God honoring, Biblical, significant mission than Oakbrook’s? Helping people find Jesus and live like him. Our mission matters! It is worth the investment of your one and only life. Remember we can only accomplish our mission if you live it out in your life.Jason Braun told me there was a line of people at Discover Oakbrook after the service! Love it when new people come!!!! Way to go all you influencers who are inviting your friends to join you on Sunday!Do you have a buddy…a friend…a partner that you are pursuing Christ with? Yesterday I said we want everyone who calls Oakbrook their church to be in a 1 on 1 disciplining relationship. I’m serious about this…we must make this happen! So get hooked up with someone you come to Oakbrook with or someone in your small group or join a small group and find a friend. Remember…spiritual growth happens best in the context of loving relationships.Pray for these people this week: Jessica Stout-she is having open-heart surgery Wednesday to replace a heart value. Steve Granger and his family (Angie and Andy Jansen)-Wanda Granger (Steve’s wife and Angie’s mom) passed away this week after a long battle with cancer. I did her funeral yesterday afternoon-she was a great lady who will be missed. Keep praying for Curtis Stout and Bruce Donaldson as they serve God in Haiti.Big thanks to Joel Larison, Cameron and Karissa Sprinkle and the whole team who led us into God’s presence at the Worship and Prayer Service last night. Two words describe the night-intimate and powerful. I had another one of those worship experiences where I pour my heart out to God in worship and adoration and He fills my heart back up with joy!I can’t wait to share Pt. 2 of our Mission next Sunday! Be there and bring someone with you. I will be sharing some fresh learning’s I have had recently about generosity and serving.One more thing…Bridges Outreach needs 200 more mentors to influence kids in our local schools. Give them a call and make a difference in a kid’s life…765-452-5723.As always…Don’t Just Jabber About It…take some action this week and…Be About It!Love Doing Church With You Guys,Mark Monday Morning Recap 2010-02-01T15:02:29+00:00 http://www.oakbrookchurch.com//blog/entry/advent_conspiracy_the_aftermath http://www.oakbrookchurch.com/site/advent_conspiracy_the_aftermath/#When:18:52:55Z   Our church participated in the Advent Conspiracy (watch this video if you have never seen it!) this year.  We collected a year end offering to support global & local compassion efforts and encouraged our small groups to also come up with creative ways to serve others during the Christmas season.  I am always so proud of our church in times like this.  Despite the fact that we live in one of the most economically depressed cities in the United States (~20% unemployment), our people continue to grow in the area of generosity because of their love for Jesus and others.  Here is just a snapshot of some great stories that came out of Oakbrook’s 2009 Advent Conspiracy from Small Groups all over the church: -Offering exceeding $25000 to go towards global (Haiti) & local missions! -”Our group assisted 2 families: One family has not had a full-time job for 3 years and another family who has sent their teenage son to work to help pay the bills.  We paid up the teenage son’s lunch account for the remainder of the year.” -”Our group gave a $275 gift certificate to a family who lost their job and health insurance.” -”Our group served meals at a local mission.  It impacted us greatly and we are planning to go back and serve every few months.” -”Our group wrapped gifts for the Rescue Mission and then helped deliver the gifts during Christmas week.” -”Our group bought presents, grocery gift cards, paper goods, and toiletries for 2 families.  We are also serving every other month by serving meals at Kokomo Urban Outreach the second Sunday of each month.” -”Our group helped a family who had lost their dad in an accident earlier in the year.  We were able to provide some clothing, shoes, toys, and gift cards so they could have a somewhat ‘normal’ Christmas.” -”Our group collected $600 to sponsor the needs of someone we know who was going to Haiti.  We also committed to contributing a minimum of $100/month toward his expenses for as long as he is there. We also provided gifts for ‘Angel Outreach’, bought diapers & wipes for Healthy Families, wrapped gifts for the Rescue Mission, rang bells for the Salvation army, supported a group member’s trip to Haiti right before Christmas, and made dinner for a group member whose mother passed away.” “Our group helped 2 families by buying presents for their children.  We gave another family $75 for groceries.  We also paid for the repair of a windshield for a girl who could not afford this repair.  Finally, we visited a retirement home and sang Christmas carols and gave gifts to the residents.” -I had one group hand me a backpack full of cash ($300) to be given towards a local backpack program that provides food to needy students every weekend. -”Our group gave about $200 to buy gifts for some children that had just lost their father unexpectedly and because of finances would not be receiving any gifts this year.” -6 groups in our Young Married Community and many others in our church joined together to provide Christmas to about 75 ’angels’ at The Community Youth Outreach Center.  Every child received a gift (for many this would be their only gift!) and a whole lot of pizza to fill their bellies!  These 6 groups also spent a night before Thanksgiving sorting over 800 pairs of socks that would be delivered to needy families by Kokomo Urban Outreach. Does it get any better than this?  Don’t just talk about it, be about it!>blog home<    Groups 2010-01-27T18:52:55+00:00 http://www.oakbrookchurch.com//blog/entry/monday_morning_recap_01.25 http://www.oakbrookchurch.com/site/monday_morning_recap_01.25/#When:13:58:49Z How fun was it to see the Colts roll over the Jets in the second half and win by 13-scoring 24 unanswered points?! Last week we kept the Ravens to 3 and yesterday we win by 13. Bring on the Saints! It was great to have my friend, Sean Verlee, leading us in worship yesterday. Ok, due to un-popular demand-- first my opening joke explanation: What did the transcendentalist say to the hot dog vender? I'll have "one with everything." The goal of a transcendentalist is to be "one (or in harmony with) everything. Once again a joke explained ceases to be one The primary verse for yesterday's "You Can't Control the Future" talk was: "Don't worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today's trouble is enough for today." Matthew 6:34 nlt (a.k.a.  Bobby McFerrin Creed...) Read the verse in context: Matthew 6:25-34. That passage and the big idea of the talk in one sentence:The path to the future is finding God and following Him today. Every book, movie, The Bible and our life has conflict. How we navigate the hard middle of life (conflict) will dictate our future. When we get to our future we will find the results of our decisions today. We never catapult into the future-we never instantaneously time-travel to the future---we walk there--one day, one decision at a time. God allows conflict. And Conflict is good for us."We can rejoice too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation." Romans 5:3-4 nlt Here's that verse in one sentence: God uses conflicts to mature us. What if our goal as parents wasn't "safety and protection"-what if our parenting ethos was to equip and teach our kids how to navigate conflict? I read chapter 40 from the book of Isaiah to close. In the middle of the talk I read a passage from Donald Miller's new book "A Million Miles in a Thousand Years." This a truly great and inspiring read that will help you re-think how you're living life. Great for teens to retirees. Thank-you so much for laughing with me, wrestling with conflict, and finding God together yesterday. The hour on Sunday is one of the best of my week. Don't miss Mark's Vision Talk next Sunday and then that evening at 6pm one of our special worship and prayer nights.   2010-01-25T13:58:49+00:00 http://www.oakbrookchurch.com//blog/entry/im_update_from_haiti http://www.oakbrookchurch.com/site/im_update_from_haiti/#When:19:30:44Z 1.18.09 12:09pm CurtisHow's it going back home?MorganFine of course---how bout you??CurtisI'm doing alright.Morgando you have electricity, water, food?Curtisyeah for now...the owners of Double Harvest came back, they're trying to get more fuelMorganThere are TONS of people praying for you & DHCurtisthanks... that means a lotwe built a water pipe to get water to people in PAP (Port Au Prince) but we're having trouble letting people know about itMorganAny specifics we can pray for??Curtisum... that we get fuel so DH can operate still. they're going to harvest all their crops and send it to PAP.Pray for the people of Coupon and all the villages and PAP—for food, water, safety, and that they find God in the midst of the chaos--that's the most important thingMorganGood. How is Bruce (Donaldson)?CurtisHe's good. We were in separate villages when the quake hit but he's okay---being the MAN as usual--helping out.20 some people stood up as new believers yesterday in church!MorganWOW. Amazing!. Are you questioning if you should stay or come back?CurtisI'm staying.I might visit a little sooner than planned but I want to stay---unless it gets too unsafe.Pray that god helps me communicate effectively with these little boys I've been playing soccer with every morning--I had another 40+ kids today!MorganGreat! Do you sense God called you there knowing this would all happen?CurtisYeah totally.He made this trip happen for me. And he knew what time I would be here.MorganWould you like me to tell anyone anything?CurtisJust keep encouraging my mom if you see her. Tell Mark and everyone I love them.MorganCan do. How is Coupon?CurtisI would say 70+% of the houses have damage and close to 50% are ruined or pretty rough shape. Everyone is sleeping outside their houses under tarps.MorganWow. Did new concrete homes take more damage?CurtisSome did & some didn’t. The biggest factor was how heavy their roof was; the heavier ones fell more. I think we're going to start helping them clean up some stuff today or tomorrowMorganWhat do you appreciate most in light of everything?CurtisUm... that I'm alive and god is using me here.MorganAmen. How is your faith / your spirits?CurtisPretty good. I'm sad for my mom and family because I know it's hard on them. I'm sad for the people of Haiti and hope they'll come together and help themselves out---they need to be a part of the solution--we can't just fix everything for them then leave.That's one thing I've noticed about coupon: a lot of the people expect Americans to come and rebuild their houses... they just sit there doing nothing. I understand they're scared and have had severe loss but they have got to be part of the solutionIt has been pretty frustrating at times. The soccer thing has been awesome for me but work to do besides that has been pretty slow. I want to go help the villages more but it all needs to be organizedMorganYou are good at drawing people out--you can help them help you and be part of the solution--I know you can.CurtisThanks.MorganAny particular worship songs going thru your mind lately?Curtis“Even When” an Upstreet song. All the new songs on North Point's “Awake” cd. “Glory to God Forever” sticks out.MorganHow is your "hope?”CurtisI believe God is going to use this to bring people to Him. I believe Haiti can go two ways; unite and become stronger or fight and people will die and suffer even more.MorganAre there other missionaries @ DH?CurtisThere is a team of 10 people serving for 2 weeks.MorganDo see Arthur much? How are he & Becky?CurtisLuzanie--a girl that works here died in the quake--she was at school in PAP and the building collapsedArthur's family is close to her and he did her funeral yesterday.MorganWow--I read of her on his son's blog. Very sad.CurtisI went downtown the day after the quake to find her-- that's when he found out she died. I saw her body trapped in the building. I'm never going to forget all the death I saw.MorganWhat are your days like now?CurtisEvery day is different. Devotion at 6:40, then I prepare for soccer at ten. I try to talk about important issues like fair play and teamwork but it's hard because I don't know very much Creole.I do soccer at 10 am every morning with the younger boys for an hour and a half, lunch, then I do manual labor of some sort in the afternoon. Some times I play soccer with the older boys in the afternoon at 4I've been journaling a lot since I've been here. I'm going to try to type a couple of them up soon and put them on Facebook.MorganIs fear any concern for you right now?CurtisNot really. DH is far enough from the city that I'm not too worried about riots or anything-- PAP was pure chaos when I was down there the day after.MorganThat's gotta be a blessing to be at DH away from PAP.CurtisYeah definitely.MorganHave you seen Roselore? (maid/cook at DH)CurtisNo I think she is stateside.MorganPastor Gary?CurtisHe's good. His wife was at school south of PAP and walked all the way home--there's tons of crazy stories like that.MorganWOW. Faude, Nahma, Jean P all ok?CurtisYep. I live with Faude.MorganHe talkin your ear off? (sarcasm)Curtislol sometimes It takes him a while to get stuff out at times lol.CurtisWell I need to get going. Take care Morgan.MorganAlright--love you & praying for you all!!! Haiti 2010-01-21T19:30:44+00:00 http://www.oakbrookchurch.com//blog/entry/monday_morning_recap_01.18 http://www.oakbrookchurch.com/site/monday_morning_recap_01.18/#When:12:34:00Z Monday Morning ReCap #14: This morning my thoughts are consumed by the tragedy in Haiti so this post will focus on this country in such great need... •Please join me in praying all throughout the day for this country. Pray for those leading the relief effort. Pray that medical supplies, food and water will get to the people fast today! Pray for those providing medical care and help. Pray for the missionaries in Haiti as they minister to people facing such devastating loss. Pray for the military as they provide order and safety in the chaos. Pray that God will draw people to Christ during this difficult time. Pray that God will bring good out of this tragedy as only he can! •Here is a blog you should read from Andrew Spalding the son of missionary Arthur Spalding at Double Harvest. Very informative and moving...http://www.haitihelpline.com •The prayer Jason Braun read yesterday was powerful! If you want to help provide relief in Haiti here is how you can help...http://www.oakbrookchurch.com/Haiti. •So thankful for the safety of Bruce Donald and Curtis Stout as they serve God in Haiti! I believe God put Curtis and Bruce in Haiti for such a time as this. Keep praying for these guys and their families. •We have another trip to Haiti planned for April 2010. Pray that this trip will happen if God wants it to happen. With this new reality there will be new opportunities to serve-ask God to give us wisdom as we continue to serve him in Haiti. •Take some time today and like Mary sit at the feet of Jesus and thank him for all the wonderful blessings we have in our great country. Plenty of food and water well build homes, amazing health care. I don't know about you but when I watch the news about Haiti the challenges in my life seem so small and insignificant. •May God use our prayers and our generosity to bring hope and healing to Haiti! As always...Don't Just Talk About It...Be About It. Love doing church with you guys! Mark               Monday Morning Recap 2010-01-18T12:34:00+00:00 http://www.oakbrookchurch.com//blog/entry/monday_morning_recap_01.11 http://www.oakbrookchurch.com/site/monday_morning_recap_01.11/#When:09:00:01Z My thoughts from yesterday at Oakbrook... Thanks to everyone who braved the cold weather yesterday! I seriously can't think of a better place to be on Sunday mornings in Kokomo than Oakbrook! I know I'm biased but it's such an awesome environment...fun, meaningful, life giving, challenging, God honoring. Yesterday was one of those days were I am reminded how much I love our church! The announcements yesterday were incredible! So creative, so much fun. Way to go Morgan, Joel and the whole band for making them unforgettable. Growing up I never walked out of church smiling about the announcements like I did yesterday...only Oakbrook! (Missed it? Check out the Video!) I'm really enjoying watching and hearing more and more people express their adoration and honor to God in worship during services. Jason Lee wrote some good stuff on this reality in a recent blog post...check it out...http://www.clearlychaos.com Let me personally invite you to the next Worship/Prayer night on Jan. 31 @ 6pm. Cameron Sprinkle will be leading us in worship that evening! Big thanks to all who generously gave to the Year End Offering! We received $23, 373.00!!!!!!!! How cool is that? Can't wait to see how God uses our generosity to compassionately reach out to those in need. Remember...You don't have what it takes to please everyone! Becoming obsessed with what people think about you is the quickest way to forget what God thinks about you. The fear of God is the best antidote for the fear of people. Keep those hooks out of your nose this week Be a God pleaser!! Some of you may have heard the recent news about a long time staff member Jeremy Carter doing some "lion chasing" in his life. Here is a link that gives the details...http://jermination.wordpress.com/2010/01/05/my-transition/. Join me in praying for Jeremy and Mandy as they follow God into the future He has for them. So proud of them! Next Sunday I'm talking about...You Don't Have What it Takes to...Handle it All. Like every weekend at Oakbrook this would be an awesome weekend to bring along a friend who doesn't go to church. Imagine what God can do through one simple invitation! As always...Don't Just Talk About...say it with me...Be About It! Love doing church with you guys! Mark >blog home< Monday Morning Recap 2010-01-11T09:00:01+00:00 http://www.oakbrookchurch.com//blog/entry/monday_morning_recap_01.04 http://www.oakbrookchurch.com/site/monday_morning_recap_01.04/#When:16:41:18Z Monday Morning Recap, January 4th Thoughts from yesterday...Hard to believe another year has already come and gone. It seems that the years go so much faster now...A lot of people blame that on age, but I'm not going to go down that road (although I did turn a year older over the holidays). The Christmas services were totally awesome. I hope that you were able to be there for one of them. Although they were different then past years, I went home after each one feeling so full of the presence of God. I especially enjoyed the worship songs that we did...And how about seeing all the people down front holding candles representing a life that was changed in 2009!!! It simply does not get any better then that. If you have been around Oakbrook for long, you know that I do not speak on Sunday mornings on a regular basis...Although I consider it a privilege each time I am asked. Yesterday was especially special for me as I so easily related to the topic. It felt good to share some of my own struggles with striving for God's approval and not just living in His amazing grace. Refuse to allow the evil one to deceive you with the truth that you will never be good enough. Instead, allow God to use that truth to set you free. The fact that you will never be good enough is actually good news! The pressure is off! It's not up to you to try to do it anymore. It's up to Christ to do it through you. Stop saying "But when I" and start saying, "But when God". When you grasp the truth that when God calls you by His grace and not because you are good enough, that's when everything changes. Key statement of the morning...When I realize that God accepts me through Christ, I am no longer living for His approval, but from His approval. Celebrate with me the life change that happened yesterday morning!! There were a few people who indicated that they had prayed the prayer to receive Christ and several who prayed that God would set them free from the performance trap!! December 31st marks the end of the 1st quarter of our fiscal year. Thank you for your continued generosity...Offerings are up $16,000 over budget.If you currently are not tithing, why not make that one of your New Years Resolutions? You will never regret it! Advent Conspiracy current total...$23,218. You still have the rest of this week to contribute. Next Sunday...You Can't Please Everyone. As always...Don't just talk about it. Be about it! >blog home< Monday Morning Recap 2010-01-04T16:41:18+00:00 http://www.oakbrookchurch.com//blog/entry/monday_afternoon_recap_12.21 http://www.oakbrookchurch.com/site/monday_afternoon_recap_12.21/#When:20:14:22Z Thoughts from yesterday….sorry I’m late getting this out. Had some computer challenges today and I have been putting some final touches on the Christmas talk.Hard to believe Christmas week is here! It’s going to be a great week. All our kids will be home to celebrate the coming of Christ together. Life just doesn’t get any better. Enjoy those who mean the most to you this week!The Programming Team has been working on the Christmas experience for months. This year’s service will be quite different from the previous 2-3 years. I think you will get up Christmas morning clearly focused on Christ because of these experiences. Thanks Programming Team for all the hard work! Christmas Services are the highest attended services each year at Oakbrook. Why? Because people who never go to church want to go on Christmas! It is by far the easiest service to invite people too…you still have time to call a friend, invite a co-worker. This is a great way to invite someone…(CLICK ME!)Great job Dave Horine and the worship crew! The band was tight. Really enjoyed singing the words, “In my life, in our world, in my love…be lifted high.” That’s a great prayer to live.I also really enjoyed 30til once again. Some smooth Christmas jazz with a cup of great coffee in a wonderful environment with wonderful friends…great way to start the day. Big thanks to the guys who played!!Morgan’s talk was strong as usual. Loved the Marine video in his introduction. Why does the church shrink back from calling people to full devotion in Christ? It is the only way to follow Him! The cost to follow is nothing compared to the rewards!I thought Morgan’s point ”what will my little contribution do to help fight poverty” was excellent. He’s so right-will we never be great golfers but we will spend the cash to try. We will never be the next Bob Villa but we will buy the power tools! Our giving matters.I’m really looking forward to giving to the year-end offering this year…seriously I am. I really don’t need anything for Christmas. Like most of you I already have way too much stuff. To add to that pile would be insane! And to think I can help other people in need has really brought me back to the true meaning of the season…giving. Lets all get generous this Christmas.Don’t forget…No Sunday Service on Dec. 27th. The Wednesday/Thursday experiences will take the place of Sunday the 27th. To all our wonderful, amazing volunteers who serve so faithfully week-end and week-out…enjoy a much deserved Sunday off!New series starts Jan. 3, 2010…”You Don’t Have What It Takes!” Wk.1-You Aren’t Good Enough. Wk.2-You Can’t Please Everyone. Wk. 3-You Can’t Handle It All. Wk. 4-You Can’t Control the Future. Should be a blast!As always…Don’t Just Talk About It, Be About It!Love doing church with you guys,Mark>blog home< Monday Morning Recap 2009-12-21T20:14:22+00:00 http://www.oakbrookchurch.com//blog/entry/monday_morning_recap_12.13 http://www.oakbrookchurch.com/site/monday_morning_recap_12.13/#When:15:35:58Z   here are some thoughts from yesterday around Oakbrook: - I'm continually amazed at the talent that God brings to Oakbrook.  How about Alex Dobbert and Brandon Lowry at 30 till?  it was awesome. - A special "thank you/way to go" to Rob Moss for putting together that video for the song "Apocalypse Please."  once again, I'm amazed at the giftedness of people who aren't even paid to do this stuff! - I had a couple of thoughts that I wanted to reiterate from yesterday's message: 1. "Where I place my hope in life will determine how I live my life" 2. "God gave us the end of the story not for us to try and figure it all out, not for us to make charts and graphs and hold seminars, not for us to write best selling novels, not for us to try and figure out if these days that we are living in are the end times...  He gives us the end of the story so that you and I have something solid that we can place all of our hope in." 3. In the end, God is making all things new in quality... He is restoring things back to the way He intended for them to be, and there will be no more curse of sin, no death, no sorrow, no pain, no tears.  God wants us to rest our hope in that promise. - I'm so proud of the people who stood in the service yesterday and declared that they wanted to receive Christ and trade in their story for His.  God rewrote stories yesterday.  It was a CELEBRATION! - Kidstuf was another success for familes.  way to go team! - OSM's Christmas party/talent show was a hit.  the students had a great time.  They also brought in gifts for 3 families who cannot afford to buy Christmas for their children.  I'm very proud of the students for their generosity. WAY TO GO! - Christmas is only 11 days away, and our christmas services are only 9 days from today.  I can't even believe that it is so soon.  Start inviting your friends to come to one of these awesome experiences. Dec. 23, 7pm & Dec. 24, 6pm. - Every Christmas around Oakbrook there is a team of unseen heroes:  the team that does the childcare for the services.  There is still an opportunity to be a part of this team.  You can pick a service to attend and then pick a service to serve in.  What an awesome way to experience giving and generosity this Christmas. - Next week we are going to dive into the "Advent Conspiracy."  Mark rolled out this idea a few weeks back and asked us to prayerfully consider giving monetarily towards compassion at the end of the year.  We want to continue to keep the value of compassion and generosity at the core of who we are as a church, and this is a great way to do that.  Be praying about what you and your family will give. - Don't miss out on 30till next weekend.  Grab a coffee at Lakeside cafe and enjoy some great music 30 minutes before the service starts.   Have a great week.  Merry Christmas!   remember: Don't just TALK about it, BE about it! Sam>blog home<    Monday Morning Recap 2009-12-14T15:35:58+00:00 http://www.oakbrookchurch.com//blog/entry/monday_morning_recap_12.7 http://www.oakbrookchurch.com/site/monday_morning_recap_12.7/#When:17:07:49Z How about that SNOW this morning? I think Christmas music sounds just a little bit better when there's white stuff on the ground. What a great start to the morning yesterday with Cameron and Karissa Sprinkle playing music for us by Lakeside Café and Books! That's something called "30 Till" that we'll be doing with different artists up to Christmas; so come early this Sunday too! Mark strongly challenged us before his talk to embrace the Advent Conspiracy in each of our families. The Advent Conspiracy is a movement by Christ followers to spend less on things that don't matter (holiday consumerism) and direct those dollars towards compassion-oriented things that do. How? 1) Go to www.adventconspiracy.org and spend 10 minutes checking out things you can do. 2) Take the envelope you received yesterday and start asking God how He wants you to spend less on "stuff" and redirect that money towards compassion. Bring the envelope (with your offering) to the Christmas service and we'll put them in the offering bags. We'll use our generosity to impact our world locally and internationally. Is there anything like listening to Mark "preach" about the Church being the hope of the world? He usually talks-but get him on why God made the Church and he "preaches it!" This series is all about God's story. And in God's story: Lead character in the story is Himself in the form of Jesus.Theme of the story is substitutionary atonement. God taking our place and paying the price for our sin. And Sunday was about the supporting character of the story --- you and me-the Church. The Church-not just the hired staff-but all the Christ followers-are given the assignment of telling God's story to the world. Mark's passionate talk was based on 2 Corinthians 5:17-21. Check it out online here http://tinyurl.com/ykh8749 Some of Mark's notable quotes: "There is NO plan B! If we don't share it (God's story), people will go to hell!" "Our mission is one simple thing: ‘Helping people find Jesus and live like Him,' as long as I am here that is what this church will always be about!" "The church exits for God, not us! It's for His story and His glory!" "If you're not telling the story of God with your one and only life, you're wasting it-don't waste it on trivial pursuits!" "Don't let another day go by without being used by God to tell His story..." He gave us a simple challenge: Take the brown booklet we were given, insert one of the Christmas invite cards and give it to someone who needs to be part of God's story. Sandra, the kids and I will talk this week about how we can be part of the Advent Conspiracy. We'll see you early next Sun for some steel cut oats & music by the café at 30 Till. And don't forget the bookstore is giving away a great free book with purchase through Christmas! Peace, -Morgan p.s. You can check out pictures from Sunday here. >blog home<       Monday Morning Recap 2009-12-07T17:07:49+00:00 http://www.oakbrookchurch.com//blog/entry/christmas_2009_behind_the_scenes http://www.oakbrookchurch.com/site/christmas_2009_behind_the_scenes/#When:12:56:08Z Christmas is here!  If you've been around Oakbrook you know that Christmas around here goes to a whole other level... and this year is no different!  We hope to create an experience that is incredible, that you can bring your family, friends and co-workers and they will be blown away!  Not just blown away by the production, but blown away by our great big God!  As I'm typing this I also have Photoshop open on my computer and am putting the final touches on all the graphics to send off the to print shop... this year you won't be handed a 'typical' bulletin when you walk in the doors... we've got something special in store!  (And you know I'm not gonna say... you'll just have to come to one of the two services to find out!)  If you see Brandon Lowry, our first Proteje Intern, give him a high five as he was the primary vision behind all the graphics for Christmas!  (What is a Proteje Intern?  Glad you asked! Check it out here)We've also got some suprises in store on the music front... we're doing a choir... but not just any choir...a MASSIVE choir!  Shall we say the biggest choir in the history of Oakbrook?  I think we shall... so if you sing any, send Monty Sanders an email and get in the choir!  (monty@oakbrookchurch.com) It's an incredible way to get behind the scenes, meet some new people, serve, and the view from up on stage as our Church worships is just awesome!  Joel Larison, Monty, and Brandon are also working on a new original arrangement of a classic Christmas carol that you will love!And to top it all off, Travis Carpenter, video extrodinare is working on some video that will make you think we have a movie production company right here in Kokomo!  All that to say... DON'T MISS THIS EXPERIENCE!!!  This weekend, we'll be passing out invite cards... so start praying about those invitations... start dreaming about what it would be like for you to fill a WHOLE ROW with people that you personally invited!  At the end of the day, after all the lights are off, and the music stops, it's about PEOPLE FINDING GOD... let's pray this season that more people then ever will find the Grace, Hope, and Love that our Savior offers to everybody!Hope your season is off to an incredible start... see you guys this weekend at 9:30am in the cafe as Cameron and Karissa Sprinkle put on a mini-concert at the 30till!It's a pleasure doing Church with you!Jason Lee>blog home<  Weekend Experiences 2009-12-03T12:56:08+00:00 http://www.oakbrookchurch.com//blog/entry/monday_morning_recap_11.30 http://www.oakbrookchurch.com/site/monday_morning_recap_11.30/#When:15:06:30Z A few thoughts on an amazing Sunday…*Sunday’s service was a great way to end a great Thanksgiving week! Really enjoyed being with family this week and then really enjoyed being with my Oakbrook family Sunday…God is so good.*As my younger friends would say…the prelude was “sick” yesterday! Which for all my not so younger friends that means it was good-really good! Thanks for the hard work band!!*Oakbrook is joining the Advent Conspiracy! If you weren’t at the service yesterday you can check it out here…www.adventconspiracy.org. The bid idea is…take some of the cash you spend on needless Christmas stuff and give that cash to a world in need.*We will be taking our Advent Conspiracy Offering at the Christmas services. You will get envelopes this Sunday and you can start praying asking God what He wants you to give and then give it in a spirit of joy at one of the Christmas services! I can’t wait!! Remember this money goes toward compassion initiatives in Haiti and in Kokomo and… it is above and beyond your weekly tithing.*Christmas Services are coming! Dec. 23 & 24th. Invite cards will be available this Sunday. Start thinking about inviting. *Church starts at 9:30 am this Sunday in the Lakeside Café-are you serious Mark? Yes I am! Cameron Sprinkle will be doing a mini-concert of Christmas music in the café this Sunday at 9:30am. Cameron is the guy who everybody loved at The Beatles Concert this year. Don’t miss it.*Speaking of great Christmas music-Lakeside Books has Chris Tomilins new Christmas/Worship CD. You can stop by on Mondays 10-3pm at the bookstore and pick it up.*I thought my daughter Sarah (the beautiful girl in the video yesterday) did an amazing job with that video! I have loved the videos each week. Way to go Joel Larison (he wrote the content for each video), Travis Carpenter and Brandon Lowery (they filmed, edited and produced each video).*Did you know we want to hire Joel Larison after he graduates in December from IWU? Your giving matters you guys. There is enough resource in Oakbrook to hire Joel-but it is still in your wallets! Get it out and put it in the plate each week so we can get this done…seriously! Lets make this happen.  *2 amazing words Substitutionary Atonement! It is the amazing big idea in Gods story of restoration. Worship God this week for the atoning work he has done in your life!*I’m already getting stoked about the talk this weekend. We will be talking about the church’s role in Gods story of restoration. Don’t miss it.My wife is telling me I need to put up some Christmas lights-so gotta go!As always-Don’t Just Talk About It Be About It!Love doing church with you guys!!Mark Monday Morning Recap 2009-11-30T15:06:30+00:00 http://www.oakbrookchurch.com//blog/entry/thoughts_from_haiti http://www.oakbrookchurch.com/site/thoughts_from_haiti/#When:15:13:41Z At 2:45 in the wee hours of Thurs. morning Nov 12 we arrived at Oakbrook sluggish and tired.  Tom Hearn graciously took us to Indy airport through the kindness of First Presbyterian Church’s bus. By dusk the same day, after flying to Chicago and Miami, we touched down in Haiti. It’s a strange feeling stepping onto the tarmac knowing this is a ride that you can’t get off of until it’s over, (given you’re on an island and your ride won’t be ready for another seven days).The airport brought us face to face with the language barrier we would encounter all week. It also brought forceful cabbies trying to take our luggage from our nervous hands. The airport made it clear that we were far from home.Outside we awaited, Arthur, our charming American host. The drive through Port Au Prince was eye-opening: Traffic was chaos. Lack of electricity was everywhere. The road tested the shocks and our nerves. And then we headed off those “good” roads toward the village.The prior rain had made the dirt fitting only for a 4x4. Just short of Double Harvest our mini van got stuck and we all evacuated to push it free. (CB managed to jump from the van squarely into the thick of it all.)Our main purpose in Haiti was to join the local church in putting on an outreach crusade the likes the area had never seen before. Our team was joined by our Canadian counterparts: Jason Braun’s dad, cousin and second cousin (Len, Albert & Lauren, respectively). We learned that the stage we’d build would be an ambitious 32’ wide, 16’ deep and be 6’ off the ground! (‘ = feet) It would have an 8’ high wall all across the back of it and include a roof! It would be erected in a bean field on a crossroad of three villages. It would be fully lit, electrified and even have video projection! Without a doubt what we were in for looked more like “Haiti-stock” than a church crusade.Albert “The Machine” lead us through the construction with amazing know-how and speed. He has a way of doing things to be sturdy enough but not to excess—“Burt-fect” as it is known.By Sunday night we were launching into the crusade in the bean field next to the village of Coupon—with not a minute to spare. Our band (that I dubbed “The Coupon Yankees”) would perform the first 20-30 minutes. As our sound carried, people would close in on our bean field of dreams.I don’t think we had less than 400-500 people the first night and by night three 800 and by night four over 1,000 in my estimation. Different talented Haitian musical groups performed. Pastors prayed and led worship (the “great white drummer” played w/the Haitians), Minister Guion preached passionately and effectively. And people came forward and accepted Christ. And hundreds of Haitians danced and worshiped in response! It’s a sight I will not forget.The days were long. Devotions at 6:40. While the crusade was on we’d pray with the Haitians for two hours in the morning. Then we’d walk to a village offering to share Christ with people in their homes. By 2pm we eat a wonderful Haitian lunch. By 5 pm we’d be gearing up for the crusade. We’d get back to our “home” by 8:30 or 9—bodies tired, but feeling used by God.Everyone on the team was amazing. Amazing servants. Always handy with a smile or a joke. Always ready to do whatever for whomever. There’s so much more to tell, but that’s all for now.    --Morgan Pictures 1  |  Pictures 2  |  Pictures 3 Haiti 2009-11-26T15:13:41+00:00 http://www.oakbrookchurch.com//blog/entry/monday_morning_recap_11.23 http://www.oakbrookchurch.com/site/monday_morning_recap_11.23/#When:13:49:52Z Here are a few thoughts from another awesome day at Oakbrook…•    So thankful this morning for all the hard work people put into weekend experiences at Oakbrook. Sometimes I forget how much horsepower is needed to make weekends happen. Thanks everybody for all the hard work!•    People found Christ yesterday!!! About 20+ hands raised at the end of the service-makes all the effort worth it. Please pray for these people and they begin their journey with God.•    Jesus Christ…100% God…100% Man…amazing.•    God’s story of restoration…Truth to Die For!•    If you have friends’ exploring/wondering about faith, God, Christianity you need to give them this series. •    I met several new people at Discover Oakbrook yesterday. That never gets old! •    It was so fun having local Kokomo author Susan Snyder with us yesterday. Lots of people bought her book “What Will I Be When I Grow Up?” My grandson Mason loves it. If you didn’t get a signed copy you can still get one. Stop by Lakeside Books and they will help you get one. •    Don’t forget…Lakeside Books open Mondays 10:00am-3:00pm now through the holidays. Tell your friends, bring them by to check out our amazing bookstore.•    I signed up yesterday to ring a bell for the Salvation Army. If you haven’t ever done this you should…it is a great reminder of what the Christmas season is all about.•    I’m hearing great stories from our team that went to Haiti last week. God using us to help people find Christ in Haiti-so cool! Thanks to all who went! My friend Marty Dittmar sent me a text Saturday night (he was in Haiti with the Oakbrook team) telling me how much he loved serving with Oakbrook people-doesn’t surprise me.•    We are joining the Advent Conspiracy this Christmas…www.adventconspiracy.org. Details coming this Sunday. Can’t wait to tell you guys about it!!!•    Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday of the year! Family, amazing food and everybody realizing how blessed we are. I’m so thankful for my amazing wife, family, Oakbrook, the call of God on my life, great friends…your turn… As always…don’t just talk about-be about it!Love doing church with you guys,Mark Monday Morning Recap 2009-11-23T13:49:52+00:00