P.D. Weekly Email

Hello Great Family,

I’m excited to be back in the pulpit this Sunday. We started looking at the book of Jude a few weeks back and I will pick this series back up this Sunday. Jude wanted to write a letter to the church about our common salvation. He focused on the core of our faith: the story of Jesus Christ, the Son of God who came to earth, died for our sins, and rose again to give us eternal life. But Jude knew there was a problem. The church has abandoned the true faith for false teachings. If you haven’t been here, I hope you’ll take the opportunity to read the entire book. Jude’s explained why this is a problem we need to be concerned about.

By the way, this is not just a problem for them. Charles Colson, president of Prison Fellowship, says, “Most Christians do not understand what they believe, why they believe it, and why it matters.” For two years, Colson asked mature believers to name the fundamentals of the faith. Most of them, he says, looked surprised and perplexed. They came up with a short list. Colson has stopped in the middle of some of his speeches, and asked the audience, “What is Christianity anyway?” At one church in the Bible belt, there was silence for what seemed to be a full minute before three or four painful answers. Colson concludes, “Our ignorance is crippling us.”

I’m not suggesting the great family at Oakwood is ignorant.  Oakwood is a great church with wonderful followers of Jesus, but it is my calling to help us know what we believe and why we believe it.  It is also my task to protect this flock from the dangers of false teaching and doctrines.

Please join us this Sunday as we cover Jude verses 17-21.  Let’s make it our responsibility to encourage one another in the true faith and protect one another from false teachers.  See you at 10am for worship, communion and the teaching of God’s Word.

God Bless
P.D. (Psalm 139)