Hey Wildwood Family!

What a week it has been in the news on both on the international and national levels. The terrorist attack on innocent folks in Israel was gruesome and dismaying. The following protests and demonstrations around the globe underscore the truth that Israel will continue to be a center of attention in the world right up to the glorious return of our Great Savior.

Due to events, Wildwood’s leadership was moved to donate $1000 to the Joshua Fund both for relief efforts in Israel  and for sharing the truth of God’s Word in the region [note: you can go to joshuafund.com if you would like to donate individually].  As Psalm 122:6 directs, we pray for peace in Jerusalem (Israel). No need though for outright panic, our Sovereign King still rules from His throne (see Psalm 2).

With all the fighting and killing of civilians on both sides, especially women and children, please pray for the power of the Gospel to be unleashed both in Israel and in the Palestinian lands.  Jesus is still calling men, women, and children to himself!

By the way, if you have thought about going on the Father-Son campout beginning Friday, October 27, please sign up by this weekend (go to wildwoodchurch.org/campouts).  They plan to buy the food on Monday!

On another subject, if you would desire to have our Elders personally pray for you, many of our Elders will be available at the church facility this coming Wednesday, October 25, from 6:00 pm-6:30 pm.  Feel free to come by for prayer.

On Sunday we will continue our series The Power of Love (1 Corinthians 13:1-7) by starting to look at the character/anatomy of love biblically.  There’s plenty of foggy, fuzzy thinking about love in our culture. As we will see, part of the issue in the imprecision of the English language.  How can we love others if we don’t understand what love is!

You won’t want to miss this Sunday!

See you then.

Bruce

On Sunday, October 15, 2023, Teaching Pastor Bruce Hess’ message is Part 1 from our sermon series  “The Power of Love”. Below are some questions for your personal or group reflection.

1. Bruce mentioned three classic songs about love.  What other songs about love come to your mind?

2.  In chapter 13:1-3 Paul clearly emphasizes this principle: If I __________, but do not have love, it means nothing.
Brainstorm a list of practices or actions that could fill in the blank.

3.  We all can have many different reasons for being tempted to boast about our self to others. What situations tend to most tempt you to be boastful?  Be honest!

4. When you come to church; small group; or a Sunday class, do we approach those times more often with the mindset “this is about me,” or with the mindset “this is about serving others?”  Why is that?  What can we do to avoid the former and be more consistent with the latter?

5. How does 1 Peter 4:10-11 apply to this discussion?

6. Bruce said that “Love in the N.T. comes in the shape of a cross.” What would you say that means?

7. Spend some time in prayer asking God to show how we can better reflect His love to others in our world.

Hey Wildwood Family!

Two things stand out to me from this week. One, fall is beginning to show its face. Frankly, I’m ready for some cooler weather. That is something I truly enjoy about our state—the variety of weather.  It’s fun to drag out some different clothing I haven’t seen for a number of weeks. Let’s not however hurry too quickly into potential ice storm weather!!!

The second thing that stands out this week would be the events in Israel. Some truly tragic events have unfolded. Hearts there have been torn apart by outright barbaric acts from a terrorist organization. One thing is quite certain, based on God’s prophetic promises to Israel, while nations and groups seek to wipe out Israel, God will not allow it. There is a day coming when our Lord Jesus will step out of heaven and his feet will touch down onto the Mount of Olives (see Zechariah 14:4; 8-9).  Righteousness will then rule the world and peace will be in Israel.

This Sunday will be special for two reasons.  One, I have the privilege of starting a new sermon series I’ve entitled, The Power of Love.  We will spend (Lord willing) five weeks delving into 1 Corinthians 13:1-7.  The first message will be this Sunday as Paul lays before us a key spiritual formula:  Everything (minus) Love = Nothing. It’s a formula we all need to be reminded of regularly.  Come join the adventure!

Second, this Sunday is special because it is Wildwood’s picnic and local outreach team fair starting at 5pm.  What a great way to be outdoors and spend time together as a broader church family.  Plenty of fun for the whole family: inflatables, games, food trucks, even $5 off coupons for the food trucks that will be there.  A big part of the fun is to have the opportunities to meet our local outreach partners face-to-face.  We’ve even added a hot dog stand this year.  Can it get any better than that? 😉

See you on Sunday!!

Bruce

On Sunday, July 2, 2023, Teaching Pastor Bruce Hess’ message is “Celebrating the Cross” from our sermon series “Unpacking the Gospel”. Below are some questions for your personal or group reflection.

1. Read Revelation 5:9-10. Look back over those verses which describe God’s work in redemption and make note of these ideas:
– the cost of redemption
– the act of redemption
– the extent of redemption
– the immediate result of redemption
– the ultimate consummation of redemption
​​​​​​​
2. Bruce has been saying that regular gratitude for the Gospel is what:
– catalyzes a daily attitude of worship
– energizes our drive to serve God
– stimulates our desire to share the Gospel
Take some time to brainstorm practical ways you can refresh your gratitude for the Gospel

3. Discuss what you would include in explaining the Gospel to someone you know. What’s the bad news and what’s the good news?  What response to the Gospel does God require?

4. What are your favorite verses from Psalm 103?  Elaborate.

5. Explain the imagery behind of the statement in 103:12 “as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us.

6.  Why is knowing you’re forgiven so significant?

7. Spend some moments in prayer to “Bless the LORD, o my soul” for all the salvation benefits he has brought you.

Hey Wildwood Family!

It truly has been hot in recent days, but not as hot as some places in our nation. Recent days in the Big Bend National Park area of Texas the temperature reached 119 degrees, hotter than Death Valley. The “real feel” temperature was even higher. Yikes! Suddenly our recent high temperature of 99 degrees seems much more reasonable.  At the Hess house we needed an extra shot of freon to keep our upstairs AC unit functioning well.

It was a wonderful treat on Wednesday night to attend the free Wildwood gathering at the Westwood Family Aquatic Center.  Some 420 folks came out.  I truly enjoyed drifting along in the lazy river for about 90 minutes, some of that time alongside my granddaughter Summer.  She’s a delight! Thanks to WCC’s Children’s and Student ministries for sponsoring a fun evening for families.

Just a reminder, this Sunday (yes, it is the 2^nd of July) is an ‘All-In Sunday’ at Wildwood. We are giving our children’s ministry, our student ministry, and our adult ministry a break.  There will be no children’s, student, or adult classes.  Bring the whole family and join us at 8:30, 9:45 or 11:00am.

We will be concluding our series entitled Unpacking the Gospel as we focus on “Celebrating the Cross.” We will have the privilege of diving into Psalm 103, one of the top five best known Psalms. It is an amazing song of praise.

We understand that there was a snafu of sorts on Sunday and some were unable to pick up a bulletin that contained the handout on bringing folks One Step Closer to Christ and the Connection Points sheet with helps for connecting with others.  We will have plenty of copies available on Sunday at the Welcome Desk if you missed receiving one.

See you Sunday!!

Bruce

On Sunday, June 18, 2023, Teaching Pastor Bruce Hess’ message is “Choosing to Embrace the Cross” from our sermon series “Unpacking the Gospel”. Below are some questions for your personal or group reflection.

1.Read out loud John 4:10 and John 7:37-38.  What are some ways that Christ, the Living Water, has quenched the thirst of your soul?  Share, if applicable.  Then take a moment to praise and thank Him.

2. If you have never made the choice to trust in Jesus as your personal Rescuer, what is holding you back?  Put it into words. Perhaps it is time for today to become that day!

3. What are some examples of “confusing ‘Christianese’ lingo” that are often heard when communicating how an individual is to personally embrace the good news of the gospel? What is the clear and prominent biblical term for our response?  Explain more of what that term means and doesn’t mean.

4. Bruce spoke of a particular function, a ministry, a spiritual partnership, that Jesus has called each and every one of his followers to practice.  What is it (see 2 Corinthians 5:18-20) and what does it mean to live it out in our everyday life?

5. People frequently can wonder: Who am I? and What difference can I make? Yet Jesus has appointed His followers to this highly regarded role by direct appointment. Why is it we often overlook this calling?

6. As an Ambassador of Jesus Christ, how would you respond to someone who says, “I believe there are many ways to God, Jesus is just one of them?

7. Bruce said part of our calling is to view people around us as God sees them: living in darkness, without hope in the world, in the process of perishing.  Why is it that we often fail to have that perspective?

8. From the ‘Connection Points’ handout (in the section entitled, Questions to gauge where someone is spiritually), pick out two questions that you plan to utilize with someone this week.

9. Pray for at least one person by name that God could use you to help bring them “one step closer to Christ” this next week.

Hey Wildwood Family!

Something very special to me happened 50 years ago today. Fifty years ago today, I was married to my dear wife, Janet!  I find it hard to calculate: how could 50 years have flown by? As I said to Janet, it feels more like maybe 30 years to me.  She said, maybe even 25. 😊

But there’s no denying it…we are celebrating our Golden Anniversary today!  We laughed some about it.  I told her I don’t know what’s happened.  When we were growing up all the people I knew who were celebrating a Golden Wedding Anniversaries were really, really old. We can’t be “really old!”  I guess that’s part of what growing older does to us.

Anyway, I mentioned all this because marrying my wife was one of the top two decisions I ever made. It has been a joy and a privilege to walk through life with such a special person. I love you, Janet!

Just a reminder about this Sunday: if you haven’t been baptized since trusting in Jesus as your Rescuer from sin and judgment—why not now??  On Sunday there will be two baptism classes (explaining what the Bible says about baptism and giving some insights into how baptism is practiced at Wildwood).  The Children’s class will be during the 11am hour in the downstairs theater room (the Lodge).  The Student/Adult class will be at noon (after our last worship service) in Room 5 downstairs in the main building. Lunch will be served at this class.  So, don’t procrastinate—let’s follow Jesus’ guideline to be baptized and publicly let others know that Jesus is your Savior!

Another cool aspect this Sunday will be the opportunity to meet Wildwood’s latest world outreach team members, Satya and Prasha Maharjan. You will want to see them and hear a short summary of the outreach that the Lord has called them to.

Finally, we will continue our series “Unpacking the Gospel” by opening up part #3, “Choosing to Embrace the Gospel.” In this message, we will be giving special opportunity for any who haven’t trusted in Jesus for forgiveness to do so (please be in prayer about that!).  Also, we will unpack the incredible truth that God has called each of us to serve as His personal ambassadors to our world.  This is exciting stuff!!

See you Sunday.

Bruce

On Sunday, June 18, 2023, Teaching Pastor Bruce Hess’ message is “God’s Work at the Cross” from our sermon series“Unpacking the Gospel”. Below are some questions for your personal or group reflection.

1. What has stood out to you in the first two messages of this series?

2. If someone asked you— Why was it necessary for Jesus to come to earth as a man?
— what would you say?

3. Spurgeon called 2 Corinthians 5:21 ‘the Heart of the Gospel.’  Why did he say that?

Bruce noted that 2 Corinthians 5:21 has been described as ‘the Great Exchange.’ What makes it so?  Elaborate.

4. What are three key New Testament passages that underscore how Jesus is the ONLY solution to our spiritual dilemma?

5. Bruce referred to a hymn from 1920, “How Could Jesus Love Me So?”
The verses are like this:

1  How could Jesus love me so,                          2  From the world of glory bright,
While in sin I wandered?                                        Jesus came to save me;
Careless, heedless to His call,                                In His power by His might
While His grace I squandered;                             Life eternal gave me;
Wonderful it is to know,                                        Wonderful it is to know,
That my Savior loved me so.                                That my Savior loved me so.

3  I’m unworthy of the grace                             Refrain:
He bestows each day,                                              How could Jesus love me so?
Of His tender love and care                                   This is more than I can know;
All along my way;                                                    I was lost in sin and woe,
Wonderful it is to know,                                         How could Jesus love me so?
That my Savior loved me so.                                 How could Jesus love me so?

Read the lyrics out loud and then spend some time giving Jesus praise from the heart.

Hey Wildwood Family!

A word of congratulations to the OU Softball team for dominating and winning their third consecutive national championship—three in a row after the canceled Covid year!  I have been impressed with the spiritual heart of many of the players.  Check my Facebook page for a link to a press conference where some of the players spoke of Jesus’ key role for them on the team.

I’m writing this on Thursday.  It appears there will be some strong, strong weather in central Oklahoma tonight.  We pray that you and yours are spared any significant damage.  You can never let your guard down when living in our great state!

Sunday we will move into part #2 of our sermon series entitled, ‘Unpacking the Gospel.’  The message focus this week is on God’s Work at the Cross.  What glorious truth we will be wading into this Sunday…remembering and celebrating how Jesus came to rescue us out of our spiritual dilemma, from which we were powerless to extricate ourselves…a chance to celebrate His mercy and grace. I’m looking forward to it!

See you Sunday,

Bruce