WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.899 Welcome to Ontario Community Church, 00:00:02.899 --> 00:00:05.740 where we're dedicated to encouraging, equipping, 00:00:05.740 --> 00:00:07.980 and engaging lives for Christ. 00:00:07.980 --> 00:00:10.080 Located in Ontario, Oregon, 00:00:10.080 --> 00:00:12.679 Pastor Patrick Daley preaches insightful sermons 00:00:12.679 --> 00:00:13.980 from the Word of God, 00:00:13.980 --> 00:00:16.920 offering practical applications for modern living. 00:00:16.920 --> 00:00:19.219 We're delighted to share this sermon with you. 00:00:23.120 --> 00:00:26.420 Father, we thank you for this time 00:00:26.420 --> 00:00:31.420 and this opportunity to be together. 00:00:31.420 --> 00:00:33.400 We are in a new year, 00:00:33.400 --> 00:00:37.140 and we're here in a new season. 00:00:38.300 --> 00:00:42.900 We come together as the community, as the body of Christ. 00:00:42.900 --> 00:00:45.799 And as we are starting this new year, 00:00:45.799 --> 00:00:49.380 let us be encouraged to do your will. 00:00:50.240 --> 00:00:53.480 Let us be a church, the body of Christ, 00:00:53.479 --> 00:00:58.419 that exhibits your love and truth from your word. 00:00:58.419 --> 00:01:02.219 And Father, as we ask that you are with us this morning, 00:01:02.219 --> 00:01:07.219 as we are going over a new sermon series, 00:01:07.859 --> 00:01:11.500 this new year, and a new opportunity for us 00:01:11.500 --> 00:01:14.000 to reach out to the community 00:01:14.000 --> 00:01:17.199 and to be the light of Christ. 00:01:17.199 --> 00:01:20.840 It is in Jesus' holy name that we pray 00:01:20.840 --> 00:01:23.079 and we all say together, amen. 00:01:23.079 --> 00:01:24.539 Amen. 00:01:24.539 --> 00:01:27.219 You know, yesterday I found it great pleasure 00:01:27.219 --> 00:01:31.019 to look outside my door and to see snow 00:01:31.019 --> 00:01:34.280 and to see not just little tiny pieces of snow, 00:01:34.280 --> 00:01:37.379 but to see big, large chunks if you were, 00:01:37.379 --> 00:01:40.060 falling down from the sky. 00:01:40.060 --> 00:01:43.500 And it's really just a great time where, you know, 00:01:43.500 --> 00:01:47.400 you open the door, or you open your window, 00:01:47.400 --> 00:01:50.299 and you look out and you can just see all of the snow 00:01:50.299 --> 00:01:52.500 falling down from the sky. 00:01:52.500 --> 00:01:55.299 And it reminds me of when I was a child, 00:01:55.299 --> 00:01:58.540 my sister and I, we used to love going out 00:01:58.540 --> 00:01:59.980 into the snow and play. 00:01:59.980 --> 00:02:03.519 Now, growing up in Southern California in the desert, 00:02:03.519 --> 00:02:05.420 and we were by a mountain. 00:02:05.420 --> 00:02:08.020 And so every so often we would get snow. 00:02:08.020 --> 00:02:10.219 And in those rare times that we'd get snow, 00:02:10.219 --> 00:02:11.719 we'd go out and play. 00:02:11.719 --> 00:02:13.860 It reminds me of how my children now, 00:02:13.860 --> 00:02:17.099 when they see the snow, they're still getting used to it. 00:02:17.099 --> 00:02:18.620 You gotta realize that, you know, 00:02:18.620 --> 00:02:20.560 being a couple years in Hawaii, 00:02:20.560 --> 00:02:23.259 and a little bit of their time in California, 00:02:23.259 --> 00:02:25.939 they didn't really have snow. 00:02:25.939 --> 00:02:27.840 So it's still a very new thing for them, 00:02:27.840 --> 00:02:30.539 and they get very excited about it. 00:02:30.539 --> 00:02:32.840 I mean, when is the last time you have been excited 00:02:32.840 --> 00:02:34.140 about the snow coming down? 00:02:34.140 --> 00:02:36.219 I know for us adults sometimes, we're like, 00:02:36.219 --> 00:02:37.480 ah, it's snowing again. 00:02:37.480 --> 00:02:39.879 That means I'm gonna have to get up early 00:02:39.879 --> 00:02:42.719 and turn the car on and clean it. 00:02:42.719 --> 00:02:45.020 But it's certainly a wonderful time, 00:02:45.020 --> 00:02:46.960 a wonderful season for that. 00:02:46.960 --> 00:02:51.960 It's great to be here in the year 2024. 00:02:53.159 --> 00:02:54.760 And it just seems like yesterday 00:02:54.760 --> 00:02:58.000 that we were concluding 2023. 00:02:58.000 --> 00:03:00.540 We're in this colder season. 00:03:00.540 --> 00:03:04.900 We're in a new year together, but it's a new time. 00:03:04.900 --> 00:03:06.400 We were reflecting. 00:03:06.400 --> 00:03:10.439 We were concluding 2023 with a sense of gratitude 00:03:10.439 --> 00:03:13.819 and being thankful for how God has worked in 00:03:13.819 --> 00:03:16.020 and through our lives. 00:03:16.020 --> 00:03:19.080 And this year, I want us to be excited 00:03:19.080 --> 00:03:23.219 for who God is, the promises that he keeps, 00:03:23.219 --> 00:03:25.920 the truth from the word of God, 00:03:25.920 --> 00:03:29.740 and being a part of the body of Christ, 00:03:29.740 --> 00:03:34.360 sharing in Christ's love with others. 00:03:34.360 --> 00:03:36.939 And this is the title of the sermon series 00:03:36.939 --> 00:03:38.740 for this month of January. 00:03:38.740 --> 00:03:40.900 I wanna go ahead and put it up. 00:03:40.900 --> 00:03:43.680 This is the title of our sermon, 00:03:43.680 --> 00:03:48.520 which is New Beginnings, Opening Our Hearts and Doors. 00:03:48.520 --> 00:03:49.580 Right? 00:03:49.580 --> 00:03:50.879 And let's go to that next slide. 00:03:50.879 --> 00:03:53.420 That's actually the title of the sermon series, 00:03:53.420 --> 00:03:58.420 which is Building Community, Little Hearts to Loving Hands. 00:03:59.560 --> 00:04:01.620 And with this title up here, I wanna ask, 00:04:01.620 --> 00:04:03.700 I want you guys to take a moment. 00:04:03.700 --> 00:04:05.000 Let's turn to the person next to her. 00:04:05.000 --> 00:04:06.560 Let's give it a minute here. 00:04:06.560 --> 00:04:11.400 What does the word community mean to you? 00:04:11.400 --> 00:04:12.800 So let's take a moment. 00:04:12.800 --> 00:04:16.939 Let's turn to someone next to us, or someone around us. 00:04:16.939 --> 00:04:18.639 And I want you to ask that question. 00:04:18.639 --> 00:04:21.280 What is the word community means to you? 00:04:21.280 --> 00:04:22.480 Let's give it a minute. 00:04:52.480 --> 00:05:11.480 Alright, community. 00:05:11.480 --> 00:05:12.680 We have some answers here. 00:05:12.680 --> 00:05:14.480 What does community mean? 00:05:14.480 --> 00:05:15.480 Feel free to shout it out. 00:05:15.480 --> 00:05:18.480 It's okay. 00:05:18.480 --> 00:05:20.120 Working together as a group. 00:05:20.120 --> 00:05:22.120 Really good. 00:05:22.120 --> 00:05:23.120 Serving. 00:05:23.120 --> 00:05:24.120 Serving. 00:05:24.120 --> 00:05:25.120 That's really good. 00:05:25.120 --> 00:05:26.120 Belonging. 00:05:26.120 --> 00:05:27.120 Belonging. 00:05:27.120 --> 00:05:28.120 Okay. 00:05:28.120 --> 00:05:29.120 Having that sense of belonging. 00:05:29.120 --> 00:05:30.120 Very good. 00:05:30.120 --> 00:05:31.120 What else? 00:05:31.120 --> 00:05:32.120 Family life. 00:05:32.120 --> 00:05:33.120 Family life? 00:05:33.120 --> 00:05:34.120 Very good. 00:05:34.120 --> 00:05:35.120 Friendship. 00:05:35.120 --> 00:05:36.120 Friendship. 00:05:36.120 --> 00:05:37.120 Okay. 00:05:37.120 --> 00:05:38.120 Okay. 00:05:38.120 --> 00:05:39.120 Family like. 00:05:39.120 --> 00:05:40.120 That's what you said. 00:05:40.120 --> 00:05:41.120 The neighbors as well. 00:05:41.120 --> 00:05:46.120 So, you see all of these words that we're using. 00:05:46.120 --> 00:05:47.120 Right? 00:05:47.120 --> 00:05:49.120 It's describing community. 00:05:49.120 --> 00:05:55.720 And when we're talking about this title for this sermon series, I want us to think about 00:05:55.720 --> 00:06:03.600 how we are working together as a congregation, as the body of Christ, right? 00:06:03.600 --> 00:06:11.000 Friends and families coming together to build up community, to build, to cultivate friendships, 00:06:11.000 --> 00:06:16.720 to cultivate relationships, to serve the Lord with gladness, right? 00:06:16.720 --> 00:06:19.080 To be on mission for Christ. 00:06:19.080 --> 00:06:21.200 I've heard that word before, to be on mission. 00:06:21.200 --> 00:06:25.720 Well, our mission should be for Christ, my friends. 00:06:25.720 --> 00:06:29.720 So thinking about that in mine as we're going from here. 00:06:29.720 --> 00:06:35.600 To build community here in the church and to reach out the community in the city of 00:06:35.600 --> 00:06:36.840 Ontario. 00:06:36.840 --> 00:06:40.960 I want us to think of the word little hearts, right? 00:06:40.960 --> 00:06:46.120 When you think of little hearts, I want you to think about children, right? 00:06:46.120 --> 00:06:47.120 Young families. 00:06:47.120 --> 00:06:53.079 And I want us to imagine for a moment what it would look like for us as a church to reach 00:06:53.079 --> 00:07:00.399 out to the community and to share in our testimony, to share in the word of God, the truth of 00:07:00.399 --> 00:07:04.399 the gospel, but also to serve as well. 00:07:04.399 --> 00:07:07.600 So little hearts, meaning children. 00:07:07.600 --> 00:07:13.560 And then that second part, loving hands, which is a way that we as the church, we can be 00:07:13.560 --> 00:07:21.160 a beacon of hope, showing the light of Christ that shines forth in the community. 00:07:21.160 --> 00:07:27.399 And so today, there are going to be two scripture readings that will help build this foundation 00:07:27.399 --> 00:07:31.439 for the sermon series and also for this sermon today. 00:07:31.439 --> 00:07:37.240 Our scripture readings are going to be from Mark chapter 10, verse 13 through 16, and 00:07:37.240 --> 00:07:41.879 Hebrews chapter 13, verse two. 00:07:41.879 --> 00:07:47.480 So I'd like us to turn our Bibles to, do we have the Mark one up there by chance? 00:07:47.480 --> 00:07:49.159 Okay, let's do the Mark. 00:07:49.159 --> 00:07:51.639 We'll start with the Mark one. 00:07:51.639 --> 00:07:54.519 My bad if I put it out of order. 00:07:54.519 --> 00:07:59.680 Alright so it's going to be Mark chapter 10, verse 13 through 16. 00:07:59.680 --> 00:08:16.000 It's going to be page 1006 in your ESV, Pew Bible, or whatever translation you prefer. 00:08:16.000 --> 00:08:23.879 So Mark chapter 10. 00:08:23.879 --> 00:08:25.319 Mark chapter 10, verse 13. 00:08:25.319 --> 00:08:28.319 Are we there? 00:08:28.319 --> 00:08:34.200 And they were bringing children to him that he might touch them. 00:08:34.200 --> 00:08:38.000 And the disciples rebuked them. 00:08:38.000 --> 00:08:43.840 But when Jesus saw it, he was indignant and said to them, what did he say? 00:08:43.840 --> 00:08:46.360 Let the children come to me. 00:08:46.360 --> 00:08:52.080 Do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. 00:08:52.080 --> 00:08:58.000 Truly I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not 00:08:58.000 --> 00:08:59.000 enter it. 00:08:59.000 --> 00:09:04.720 And he took them in his arms and blessed them, laying his hands on them. 00:09:04.720 --> 00:09:11.600 And what is happening in this gospel account, the gospel of Mark, it is where Christ is 00:09:11.600 --> 00:09:18.200 talking about how important children are to the kingdom of God and how we need to receive 00:09:18.200 --> 00:09:23.960 the kingdom of God with the mind of a child like a child. 00:09:23.960 --> 00:09:29.480 Of course, we need to understand that we're all important in the eyes of God, but this 00:09:29.480 --> 00:09:34.480 verse is talking specifically about children. 00:09:34.480 --> 00:09:41.080 When it comes to children, they need to hear the message of Jesus. 00:09:41.080 --> 00:09:43.320 Children are more vulnerable. 00:09:43.320 --> 00:09:44.320 They are innocent. 00:09:44.320 --> 00:09:51.240 And sadly, in that time period, children were not viewed upon very highly. 00:09:51.240 --> 00:09:54.879 They were seen as not as important. 00:09:54.879 --> 00:10:01.240 And sadly, that happens sometimes even today, where children are seen as important. 00:10:01.240 --> 00:10:07.240 What a sad truth that can be even nowadays. 00:10:07.240 --> 00:10:13.720 This goes to show the call from the Lord that it's a call not to hinder children. 00:10:13.720 --> 00:10:21.080 And contextually, Christ is speaking against this low view of children, that children matter. 00:10:21.080 --> 00:10:25.600 I would hate thinking of the idea of we're just going to, oh, your child, get out of 00:10:25.600 --> 00:10:26.600 here. 00:10:26.600 --> 00:10:27.600 You're not worth my time. 00:10:27.600 --> 00:10:30.480 What are you doing out here? 00:10:30.480 --> 00:10:33.879 Children should be seen and heard. 00:10:33.879 --> 00:10:41.800 And in the modern day context, like I'm saying, it is a call for us to not only focus on teaching 00:10:41.800 --> 00:10:50.759 children, but focusing on how they can learn who Jesus Christ is to come to know the Lord 00:10:50.759 --> 00:10:58.000 and it should be noted as a parent and for us parents here, how often do we learn from 00:10:58.000 --> 00:11:04.559 children, how to learn patience or to learn understanding from those children. 00:11:04.559 --> 00:11:10.000 So it's very interesting that there's the call to let the children come to know the 00:11:10.000 --> 00:11:11.000 Lord, right? 00:11:11.000 --> 00:11:15.559 Let the little children come to me as Christ is saying, but there's also that component 00:11:15.559 --> 00:11:22.399 of how we are to be like children, that we are to have this sense of awe and the sense 00:11:22.399 --> 00:11:28.719 of wonder, this sense of reliance and trust on our Lord and our God. 00:11:28.719 --> 00:11:35.199 It's just a wonderful verse and it's just a wonderful reminder for us to consider the 00:11:35.199 --> 00:11:41.679 importance of children, but also to have that childlike attitude, that childlike mindset 00:11:41.679 --> 00:11:43.179 to the Lord. 00:11:43.179 --> 00:11:45.519 Let's turn to our second scripture. 00:11:45.519 --> 00:11:49.439 It's going to be from Hebrews chapter 13 verse 2. 00:11:49.439 --> 00:11:54.439 It's going to be on page 1187. 00:11:54.439 --> 00:12:07.039 No, it's not. 00:12:07.039 --> 00:12:19.799 It's going to be page, my bad. 00:12:19.799 --> 00:12:27.279 97, I think I just had a little typo there. 00:12:27.279 --> 00:12:33.360 All right, so it's going to be verse 2. 00:12:33.360 --> 00:12:42.840 It's 1197. 00:12:42.840 --> 00:12:49.200 So starting with verse 1, it says, let brotherly love continue, right? 00:12:49.200 --> 00:12:54.680 Then it says, do not neglect to show what? 00:12:54.680 --> 00:12:56.399 Hospitality to strangers. 00:12:56.399 --> 00:13:01.200 For thereby some of you have entertained who? 00:13:01.200 --> 00:13:03.200 Angels, unaware, right? 00:13:03.200 --> 00:13:05.200 That's an interesting verse. 00:13:05.200 --> 00:13:07.440 I've always appreciated that. 00:13:07.440 --> 00:13:09.840 You don't know who's going to come through the door. 00:13:09.840 --> 00:13:14.800 You don't know if when you're showing hospitality, it could just be a normal person who's coming 00:13:14.800 --> 00:13:15.800 by. 00:13:15.800 --> 00:13:16.800 It could be your neighbor, right? 00:13:16.800 --> 00:13:20.920 It could be someone from your church, but it could be an angel. 00:13:20.920 --> 00:13:24.360 I've always found that to be a very good verse. 00:13:24.360 --> 00:13:30.400 Contextually in this verse, there is encouragement to show hospitality to strangers. 00:13:30.399 --> 00:13:37.039 This verse specifically is part of a broader instruction and encouragement for living out 00:13:37.039 --> 00:13:39.039 the Christian faith. 00:13:39.039 --> 00:13:44.639 And I find it interesting that the verse that leads up to chapter 13, there is mention about 00:13:44.639 --> 00:13:49.039 how when we receive the kingdom of God, it cannot be shaken. 00:13:49.039 --> 00:13:54.120 And we should be encouraged to offer God our worship, right? 00:13:54.120 --> 00:13:59.840 That we should worship the Lord, be reverent to Him, and be in awe of Him. 00:13:59.840 --> 00:14:01.639 For our God is a consuming fire. 00:14:01.639 --> 00:14:09.120 So it's kind of saying what that looks like is by exhibiting, by showing hospitality, 00:14:09.120 --> 00:14:13.560 to continue to show hospitality, so even to strangers. 00:14:13.560 --> 00:14:18.360 And it's almost, you know, it's very interesting about this is you'll see in your notes that 00:14:18.360 --> 00:14:24.759 the Hebrews chapter 13 verse two passage is making reference to Genesis 18. 00:14:24.759 --> 00:14:30.439 And we are not going to go too much into it, but it's what happened when Abraham saw three 00:14:30.439 --> 00:14:32.519 men and invited them in. 00:14:32.519 --> 00:14:36.039 And Abraham and Sarah, they were showing hospitality. 00:14:36.039 --> 00:14:38.480 And they didn't know who they were entertaining. 00:14:38.480 --> 00:14:40.519 They were entertaining angels. 00:14:40.519 --> 00:14:44.799 And I found that so interesting where there's mention in the New Testament, you don't know 00:14:44.799 --> 00:14:50.279 who you're inviting in, just like how Abraham and Sarah didn't know at the time who they 00:14:50.279 --> 00:14:55.319 had invited in, that they were entertaining angels, so to speak. 00:14:55.319 --> 00:15:04.199 Now both of these passages are their encouragement for us today as we should focus on the sense 00:15:04.199 --> 00:15:06.279 of building community. 00:15:06.279 --> 00:15:10.600 Remember I mentioned, let's put up the building community slide. 00:15:10.600 --> 00:15:15.319 We're talking about little hearts and loving hands, right? 00:15:15.319 --> 00:15:16.959 Let the children come to me. 00:15:16.960 --> 00:15:24.800 Let's focus on what it means to be focused on children, teaching them, sharing the gospel 00:15:24.800 --> 00:15:30.360 with them, inviting their families to come to our church and building that sense of Christian 00:15:30.360 --> 00:15:31.800 community. 00:15:31.800 --> 00:15:35.920 And loving hands is the sense of hospitality. 00:15:35.920 --> 00:15:37.960 Are you hospitable? 00:15:37.960 --> 00:15:41.360 Are you, have you invited someone in? 00:15:41.360 --> 00:15:44.440 That could be someone, an invitation to your home. 00:15:44.440 --> 00:15:49.720 That could be an invitation to the church, and it's certainly a question to think about. 00:15:49.720 --> 00:15:56.960 Jesus teaches us in Scripture how important it is for us to allow children to come to 00:15:56.960 --> 00:15:58.040 Him. 00:15:58.040 --> 00:16:03.480 And Jesus also teaches that we need to have that openness and that trust in Him and the 00:16:03.480 --> 00:16:07.800 humility to go to the Father like a child. 00:16:07.800 --> 00:16:09.080 Think about that. 00:16:09.080 --> 00:16:10.720 We think about the verse from Hebrews. 00:16:10.720 --> 00:16:16.480 It goes to show that we need to exhibit hospitality even to strangers. 00:16:16.480 --> 00:16:22.240 And this can be done in the context of an invitation to someone, right? 00:16:22.240 --> 00:16:26.360 Hospitality to other people, inviting them into your home, like I said, or inviting them 00:16:26.360 --> 00:16:28.519 to church. 00:16:28.519 --> 00:16:35.519 You know, every year there is a question that comes up for our church, for Ontario Community 00:16:35.519 --> 00:16:36.720 Church. 00:16:36.720 --> 00:16:42.879 It's a question that we as the body of Christ we can think of for the new year. 00:16:42.879 --> 00:16:48.000 And I had to take a lot of time and prayer and reflection and thinking about where does 00:16:48.000 --> 00:16:51.480 God want us as a church to be? 00:16:51.480 --> 00:16:57.160 I wasn't sure, quite honestly, when I was first really reflecting and opening God's 00:16:57.160 --> 00:17:00.200 Word, I wasn't sure where God wanted us to go. 00:17:00.200 --> 00:17:05.160 And I was really just fighting it, trying to figure out what is the question that can 00:17:05.160 --> 00:17:07.360 be asked for this year. 00:17:07.360 --> 00:17:14.880 And after much prayer, reflection, and consideration, I believe that our Lord, that our God wants 00:17:14.880 --> 00:17:23.680 us to intentionally focus on building community here in Ontario Community Church and here 00:17:23.680 --> 00:17:25.279 in the city. 00:17:25.279 --> 00:17:30.200 Let us reach lives for Christ and do good in His name. 00:17:30.200 --> 00:17:34.800 Let's make sure that decisions can be made for Jesus Christ. 00:17:34.799 --> 00:17:38.599 And for us who believe, let us do good in the name of Christ. 00:17:38.599 --> 00:17:43.720 And so the question that comes up for this year I'd like us to consider, let's put that 00:17:43.720 --> 00:17:46.000 on the slide. 00:17:46.000 --> 00:17:53.039 It's the question of how can we share the love of Christ with our neighbors? 00:17:53.039 --> 00:17:57.159 It's a good question. 00:17:57.159 --> 00:18:01.759 How can we share the love of Christ with our neighbors? 00:18:01.759 --> 00:18:08.119 And this year I want us to focus on how we as a church can share the love of Christ with 00:18:08.119 --> 00:18:15.079 others through invitation and through presence, being present with your friends and your families 00:18:15.079 --> 00:18:17.960 through inviting them. 00:18:17.960 --> 00:18:23.000 Now there are two things that we will be working on as a church in an effort to build community 00:18:23.000 --> 00:18:28.920 within our own church context, but also to be present in the community. 00:18:28.920 --> 00:18:35.960 My friends, I'd like to let you guys know of two things that I am working on with Nora, 00:18:35.960 --> 00:18:39.120 with Amber and with people within the community. 00:18:39.120 --> 00:18:46.800 The first thing that us as a church that we're working on is something, right now it's titled 00:18:46.800 --> 00:18:50.120 Ontario Kids, it might change over time. 00:18:50.120 --> 00:18:57.920 But it's this creation of having community classes for children before the Sunday service. 00:18:57.920 --> 00:19:03.960 It's a way as an outreach for inviting kids and their families to come and learn a life 00:19:03.960 --> 00:19:10.120 skill, learn how to paint or to dance or to sing or to fish or whatever it is, to learn 00:19:10.120 --> 00:19:16.320 these different skills and to have it in a safe environment, in a Christian context. 00:19:16.320 --> 00:19:21.920 And through that we invite the parents for coffee and to get to know them. 00:19:21.920 --> 00:19:28.920 And through that we invite the family to come join us for worship time, from hearing a message 00:19:28.920 --> 00:19:38.080 from the word of God and to be part of this community, to be a part of the body of Christ. 00:19:38.080 --> 00:19:42.680 We invite children to come, we invite them to have fun, we invite them to learn and to 00:19:42.680 --> 00:19:48.360 grow and we encourage the families to join us in this effort. 00:19:48.359 --> 00:19:53.119 Like I'm saying, it's thinking outside of the box and thinking of how we can reach our 00:19:53.119 --> 00:19:59.439 community and by having these classes it would be a wonderful way for children to have fun 00:19:59.439 --> 00:20:06.959 and to be exposed to good Christian community and through that the invitation to come and 00:20:06.959 --> 00:20:11.599 to come to know the Lord, come to know who Jesus Christ is. 00:20:11.599 --> 00:20:16.279 And our goal would be to have about eight weeks where at the conclusion of this we could 00:20:16.279 --> 00:20:22.920 have this wonderful Easter service where we not only invite our friends, our family and 00:20:22.920 --> 00:20:29.000 our neighbors but these children who have been taking these classes. 00:20:29.000 --> 00:20:34.480 I want to share a story with you of a church that did a very similar thing. 00:20:34.480 --> 00:20:41.039 You know, in a time when I was serving in Southern California I was in this small church 00:20:41.039 --> 00:20:47.039 and I had heard from the associate pastor this story here. 00:20:47.039 --> 00:20:53.200 So this church had a small children's ministry, it was only nine people and they wanted to 00:20:53.200 --> 00:20:54.960 reach younger families for Christ. 00:20:54.960 --> 00:21:00.039 They wanted to reach out and have an invitation for children. 00:21:00.039 --> 00:21:04.399 They wanted to have more kids in the church and they had a heart for younger people because 00:21:04.399 --> 00:21:07.559 children are our future. 00:21:07.559 --> 00:21:13.919 And so what they did, they only had nine people in children's ministry, nine children total. 00:21:13.919 --> 00:21:17.200 That's a pretty, alright group. 00:21:17.200 --> 00:21:21.599 But it only consisted of staff, the staff's kids, right? 00:21:21.599 --> 00:21:25.839 So over time with strategy and with prayer and with intentionality and innovation with 00:21:25.839 --> 00:21:33.159 God's divine guidance they created a solution to engage and to educate children through 00:21:33.160 --> 00:21:40.040 the community and through the invitation of bringing children in and teaching these young 00:21:40.040 --> 00:21:43.400 children these life skills. 00:21:43.400 --> 00:21:49.960 In one week of launching they increased their attendance for their children's ministry from 00:21:49.960 --> 00:21:55.160 nine to one hundred and nine within the first week. 00:21:55.160 --> 00:21:57.440 Praise God for that. 00:21:57.440 --> 00:22:02.640 Now I don't know what such an outcome would be if it was a hundred children that would 00:22:02.640 --> 00:22:08.000 be remarkable and certainly whatever God brings. 00:22:08.000 --> 00:22:14.960 I want us to intentionally focus on this to come to the Lord and let's pray for younger 00:22:14.960 --> 00:22:20.440 families, let's pray for children to come to know the Lord, to be educated, to learn 00:22:20.440 --> 00:22:24.320 these skills in a Christian context. 00:22:24.320 --> 00:22:26.400 A hundred and nine though. 00:22:26.400 --> 00:22:29.600 Can you wrap your mind around that for a second? 00:22:29.600 --> 00:22:30.600 It's kind of remarkable. 00:22:30.599 --> 00:22:35.039 And when I heard that story that I got that from an email from again the associate pastor 00:22:35.039 --> 00:22:39.839 of a church that I was at and I just thought that was the most amazing story. 00:22:39.839 --> 00:22:42.679 It was a pivotal moment for this church though. 00:22:42.679 --> 00:22:48.559 This had to be done with prayer, coming to the Lord and asking the Lord, Lord lead us 00:22:48.559 --> 00:22:55.119 and guide us and where you want us to go and how can we reach young families, how can we 00:22:55.119 --> 00:23:02.439 reach children specifically and they went all in being about the kids. 00:23:02.439 --> 00:23:07.879 Learning about this story is remarkable and inspirational and I know like I said their 00:23:07.879 --> 00:23:11.199 situation is pretty cool. 00:23:11.199 --> 00:23:12.899 It would be different than ours. 00:23:12.899 --> 00:23:13.919 Maybe more, maybe less. 00:23:13.919 --> 00:23:16.599 But let's put it into God's hands. 00:23:16.599 --> 00:23:21.199 It does not change the fact though that we make our offerings and our intentions, we 00:23:21.199 --> 00:23:22.979 offer that to the Lord. 00:23:22.979 --> 00:23:24.639 That is what we need to do. 00:23:24.640 --> 00:23:29.040 We allow for God to work in and through us through doing his work. 00:23:29.040 --> 00:23:35.960 And this idea of having community classes for children is something that we can do. 00:23:35.960 --> 00:23:37.680 It's not going to be the same. 00:23:37.680 --> 00:23:42.840 It will be its own thing, something that we can do. 00:23:42.840 --> 00:23:45.800 And so that's one thing that we're working on. 00:23:45.800 --> 00:23:49.320 The second thing that we're working on, I'll just give you a little bit of a preview. 00:23:49.320 --> 00:23:54.600 I'm running out of time here, is the idea of love Ontario. 00:23:54.599 --> 00:24:01.879 This idea where we work with, we have community projects that we as the church are exhibiting 00:24:01.879 --> 00:24:07.799 the love of Christ by serving the community, by partnering with existing organizations 00:24:07.799 --> 00:24:15.839 and coming alongside them to enhance it and to make a greater impact in this city. 00:24:15.839 --> 00:24:20.439 I'll go further on to this at another time but that's just kind of the idea. 00:24:20.440 --> 00:24:28.320 Right now I wanted us to focus mostly on the idea of having, how can we focus on our children? 00:24:28.320 --> 00:24:30.600 They are the next generation. 00:24:30.600 --> 00:24:36.960 So let's think of how we together can come together and we can invite these children 00:24:36.960 --> 00:24:42.279 to learn to join in these classes but most importantly come to know the Lord and come 00:24:42.279 --> 00:24:45.180 and join us on a Sunday. 00:24:45.180 --> 00:24:49.440 And so with that in mind, we are the church. 00:24:49.440 --> 00:24:56.120 We are the community and we can have a greater impact and a profound influence on our city, 00:24:56.120 --> 00:25:00.799 the city of Ontario through service and through the invitation of our neighbor. 00:25:00.799 --> 00:25:09.680 I want you to think for a moment, the idea of, Amber, can you grab a chair for me please? 00:25:09.680 --> 00:25:12.759 I want you to think for a moment the idea of an empty chair. 00:25:12.759 --> 00:25:18.759 I like to use an empty queue but I want to use this as a visual representation. 00:25:18.759 --> 00:25:25.200 You see a chair and you think of someone who sits in it. 00:25:25.200 --> 00:25:29.960 Ask yourself the question, who can I invite? 00:25:29.960 --> 00:25:31.839 Imagine someone who could sit here. 00:25:31.839 --> 00:25:33.200 What do they look like? 00:25:33.200 --> 00:25:35.200 How do they dress? 00:25:35.200 --> 00:25:36.200 And do they know the Lord? 00:25:36.200 --> 00:25:40.200 And quite honestly when I think of an empty chair, I think of someone who doesn't know 00:25:40.200 --> 00:25:41.200 the Lord. 00:25:41.200 --> 00:25:43.920 I think of someone who needs to know who Jesus Christ is. 00:25:43.920 --> 00:25:47.519 I think of someone who needs healing and restoration. 00:25:47.519 --> 00:25:52.359 I think of someone who needs transformation in their mind, in their heart and in their 00:25:52.359 --> 00:25:53.359 spirit. 00:25:53.359 --> 00:25:59.039 So when we're thinking about focusing on children intentionally and focusing on serving our 00:25:59.039 --> 00:26:02.839 community, let us focus on the empty chair. 00:26:02.839 --> 00:26:05.920 It's the question of who can we reach out to? 00:26:05.920 --> 00:26:07.839 How can we reach out to? 00:26:07.839 --> 00:26:13.960 And I want you to think about this as we go from this sermon series and of this year. 00:26:13.960 --> 00:26:17.160 How can we reach others for Christ? 00:26:17.160 --> 00:26:20.759 How can we share in the love of Jesus Christ with other people? 00:26:20.759 --> 00:26:24.160 I want us to think about that as we close. 00:26:24.160 --> 00:26:29.080 And you know over the next few weeks I ask you for prayer and for God's direction in 00:26:29.080 --> 00:26:36.759 this new season that we can prayer, that we can do good in the name of Jesus Christ. 00:26:36.759 --> 00:26:40.640 And before I close, I'd actually like to invite Amber on up real quick. 00:26:40.640 --> 00:26:48.640 I have been talking about how having community classes for children, but what better person 00:26:48.640 --> 00:26:52.400 to talk about it than the children's director? 00:26:52.400 --> 00:26:53.520 So let's give her a round of applause. 00:26:53.520 --> 00:26:54.520 Yeah? 00:26:54.520 --> 00:26:55.520 Let's go. 00:26:55.520 --> 00:26:56.520 Good morning Ontario. 00:26:56.520 --> 00:26:57.520 Thank you for having me. 00:26:57.520 --> 00:27:05.920 And I just kind of want to give a very brief week and talk about it over the next week 00:27:05.920 --> 00:27:11.480 or the coming weeks together privately or in a group or however you guys want to ask 00:27:11.480 --> 00:27:13.640 questions about it too. 00:27:13.640 --> 00:27:21.360 But really the vision behind having community classes for our kids, so often I hear mothers, 00:27:21.360 --> 00:27:27.519 even some fathers in play groups and things, they say, where is my village? 00:27:27.519 --> 00:27:30.560 And they'll say that I hear it a lot. 00:27:30.560 --> 00:27:32.920 A lot of them are not in churches. 00:27:32.920 --> 00:27:38.080 A lot of them have created some villages with play groups and things like that. 00:27:38.080 --> 00:27:45.279 But over and over, even if they are in those play groups, I still hear where's my village. 00:27:45.279 --> 00:27:51.960 And so over just thinking about that, within the last six months, I've been thinking about 00:27:51.960 --> 00:27:56.160 well the village has always been the church. 00:27:56.160 --> 00:28:02.519 The village has been the people that you commune with, the people that you share in the love 00:28:02.519 --> 00:28:12.160 of Christ with, the people who are in your city, Fruitland, Ontario, this is our village. 00:28:12.160 --> 00:28:19.480 And so when we are looking at helping young families build that village, we have years 00:28:19.480 --> 00:28:20.680 of experience. 00:28:20.680 --> 00:28:23.519 We have our walks with the Lord. 00:28:23.519 --> 00:28:26.720 We have the talents that He's given us. 00:28:26.720 --> 00:28:28.720 Some of us are farmers. 00:28:28.720 --> 00:28:30.599 Some of us are cooks. 00:28:30.599 --> 00:28:32.400 Some of us are painters. 00:28:32.400 --> 00:28:38.480 Some of us have skills that I couldn't even tell you today what they are. 00:28:38.480 --> 00:28:44.160 But in getting to know each and every one of us, I know you know someone sitting next 00:28:44.160 --> 00:28:46.680 to you and you know what they're good at. 00:28:46.680 --> 00:28:50.560 You know what they would like to share with the community. 00:28:50.560 --> 00:28:56.240 So we're looking at starting in February an eight week class. 00:28:56.240 --> 00:29:02.360 Now if you can't commit in February to teaching an eight week class, there are going to be 00:29:02.359 --> 00:29:04.759 other opportunities throughout the year. 00:29:04.759 --> 00:29:10.839 We want to do this at least three to four times in the year where we heavily focus on 00:29:10.839 --> 00:29:18.479 families and children and teaching them something that will be of value for them in life. 00:29:18.479 --> 00:29:21.639 A lot of kids, they don't have these opportunities. 00:29:21.639 --> 00:29:26.079 Some of them might have the opportunity here or there to take a cooking class or to see 00:29:26.079 --> 00:29:33.599 something on TV but hands on experience and experience with the people in this church 00:29:33.599 --> 00:29:36.679 who have such tremendous hearts. 00:29:36.679 --> 00:29:38.679 That's what is of value. 00:29:38.679 --> 00:29:40.839 That is where the village comes from. 00:29:40.839 --> 00:29:47.240 So we're looking at recruiting some of you and maybe you know some people, some leaders 00:29:47.240 --> 00:29:51.759 in the community, Ontario, Fertland, reasonable distance. 00:29:51.759 --> 00:29:56.640 We don't want it to be driving far away to come on Sunday. 00:29:56.640 --> 00:30:01.519 But maybe you know somebody who might be really good at speaking. 00:30:01.519 --> 00:30:06.319 Maybe they know a skill but they don't know how to teach it quite yet. 00:30:06.319 --> 00:30:10.680 We could teach you how to teach that. 00:30:10.680 --> 00:30:14.160 So we would just really, we want you to be thinking about that. 00:30:14.160 --> 00:30:16.359 Come and talk to me after the service. 00:30:16.359 --> 00:30:18.440 Come and talk to me in the coming weeks. 00:30:18.440 --> 00:30:22.840 We would like to have one to two teachers in February. 00:30:22.840 --> 00:30:23.840 That's our goal. 00:30:23.840 --> 00:30:26.880 One to two classes that we are going to offer. 00:30:26.880 --> 00:30:32.600 Who knows in the future maybe we'll have five or six classes every eight weeks. 00:30:32.600 --> 00:30:39.840 But right now our goal is one to two classes and something you know sign language to kids, 00:30:39.840 --> 00:30:42.559 music, those kinds of things. 00:30:42.559 --> 00:30:43.759 Kids enjoy that. 00:30:43.759 --> 00:30:46.440 Now it will be ages five to twelve. 00:30:46.440 --> 00:30:53.360 So another piece of this vision is creating a little downstairs playground for our younger 00:30:53.360 --> 00:30:58.120 kids because when parents bring their older kids they're most likely going to bring their 00:30:58.120 --> 00:31:01.920 little ones and we want to have something for them as well. 00:31:01.920 --> 00:31:08.519 And so we're looking at transforming that room downstairs into like a playground, a 00:31:08.519 --> 00:31:14.000 little playground room for younger kids to enjoy while their older siblings are learning 00:31:14.000 --> 00:31:16.759 and growing in community with us. 00:31:16.759 --> 00:31:20.559 So if you have questions please reach out to me. 00:31:20.559 --> 00:31:24.079 You can give me a phone call during the week or we can meet up. 00:31:24.079 --> 00:31:25.079 We can figure it out. 00:31:25.079 --> 00:31:26.480 Don't worry about the kids. 00:31:26.480 --> 00:31:28.640 We'll figure it out too. 00:31:28.640 --> 00:31:35.759 But I just really want to invite you guys to think, to pray and to really see who could 00:31:35.759 --> 00:31:41.319 be sitting in that empty chair and how can we see those empty chairs fill up. 00:31:41.319 --> 00:31:42.319 Thank you. 00:31:42.319 --> 00:31:50.599 It's definitely exciting with just all of the things that we're planning on ways that 00:31:50.599 --> 00:31:56.679 we can be active in the community and also ways that we can be present for our children, 00:31:56.679 --> 00:31:58.559 the next generation. 00:31:58.559 --> 00:32:05.799 And so as Amber has said, let's think about people who can join us, who can help us in 00:32:05.799 --> 00:32:07.559 building this community together. 00:32:07.559 --> 00:32:13.079 I know we've gone over our time but I just want us to think about this and for the next 00:32:13.079 --> 00:32:17.679 four weeks we're going to be going into more about what it means to love our city, what 00:32:17.679 --> 00:32:21.240 it means for us to focus on the children. 00:32:21.240 --> 00:32:26.240 But let us build community together in the name of Jesus Christ. 00:32:26.240 --> 00:32:30.159 So with that let's go ahead and close in prayer. 00:32:30.159 --> 00:32:32.000 Let's pray together. 00:32:32.000 --> 00:32:37.000 Father, we thank you for your love and for your provision. 00:32:37.000 --> 00:32:43.279 We thank you for bringing us together as the community, as the Christian community, as 00:32:43.279 --> 00:32:46.720 the body of Christ, a community of believers. 00:32:46.720 --> 00:32:51.880 We ask that you lead and you guide each and every one of us individually but also each 00:32:51.880 --> 00:32:56.160 and every one of us as collectively as the church. 00:32:56.160 --> 00:32:57.160 Be with us. 00:32:57.160 --> 00:33:03.240 We know there's much work to be ahead but we want to offer ourselves to you. 00:33:03.240 --> 00:33:10.759 And help us to be your hands and feet in this world showing your love through what we say 00:33:10.759 --> 00:33:13.759 and what we do. 00:33:13.759 --> 00:33:19.000 We ask that you're with us as we go forth, as we sing this closing song, as we leave 00:33:19.000 --> 00:33:22.920 from this place, be with us. 00:33:22.920 --> 00:33:27.799 Bless our efforts, lead and guide us and even if we go on the wrong track rebuke us and 00:33:27.799 --> 00:33:31.319 lead us back to the right track when that happens. 00:33:31.319 --> 00:33:35.480 May our efforts may glorify you. 00:33:35.480 --> 00:33:43.240 Let it be done according to your will and may it bring hope to children, to families. 00:33:43.240 --> 00:33:46.799 Lord we're thinking of the empty chair. 00:33:46.799 --> 00:33:48.679 May we be ready. 00:33:48.679 --> 00:33:52.519 May our efforts honor and glorify you and let your will be done. 00:33:52.519 --> 00:33:58.359 May you inspire and motivate each and every one of us to be on fire for you, to love like 00:33:58.359 --> 00:34:04.039 you, to speak truth like you, and to serve you. 00:34:04.039 --> 00:34:09.319 Help us to be a light for this church and a light for the community that we may share 00:34:09.319 --> 00:34:13.559 in your love with our neighbor and with the empty chair. 00:34:13.559 --> 00:34:18.480 It is in Jesus' name that we pray and we all say together amen. 00:34:18.480 --> 00:34:22.440 Thank you for tuning in to the Ontario Community Church sermon podcast. 00:34:22.440 --> 00:34:26.759 For more about our church and how you can get involved or support our mission, please 00:34:26.760 --> 00:34:30.440 visit ontariocommunitychurch.org. 00:34:30.440 --> 00:34:57.400 May God's blessings be with you.