Great storytellers tell tales at two levels: the macro level and the micro level.  At the macro level, the world setting of the story is arranged.  Then, at the micro level, we meet the main characters whose lives we will follow.  At the macro level, we learn the WIDTH of the story.  At the micro level, we feel its DEPTH.

Some examples?

Tony winner “Les Miserables” begins in a prison camp with no hope.  Then, we meet Jean Valjean … a man who is trying to escape this miserable life, and we yearn for hope through his eyes the rest of the musical.  Without meeting Valjean and those he protects, it would be just another history piece.  But with the connection we build with his character’s redemption, we FEEL the era.

Oscar winner “Schindler’s List” begins with the epic tale of the Holocaust during World War II and the massacre of 6 million Jews.  Then we meet Oskar Schindler, and we realize that not everyone stood idly by to watch the slaughter unfold … some did something about it.  BONUS: Director Steven Spielberg also chose to shoot the entire movie in black and white, but introduced color in two unforgettable scenes, where a young girl in a red coat is colorized amidst the grayscale, so we see her … only (heartbreakingly) to see her again later in a pile of bodies killed by the Nazi regime.  You don’t see 6 million deaths in Schindler’s List, but you see many … but hardly any as emotional as the story of that one girl whose name we never even learned, but who was highlighted for us to see.

Golden Globe winner “Lonesome Dove” begins touring the lifeless, dusty streets of a south Texas border town in the 1800s, before the camera zooms in on Augustus McCrae.  This former Texas Ranger is both salty and sweet, the perfect set of eyes through which we can process this world teetering on the brink of either despair or delight.

And we could go on and on.  Most stories have a macro and a micro level.

So far in our “Deep + Wide” study looking at the very first church in the book of Acts, we have been investigating the macro story as recounted in the book of Acts, where in the first 7 chapters we learn the story of the very first church in Jerusalem.  We have seen the church grow from 120 people to over 10,000 in just over one year’s time!  This macro level journey has helped us see the WIDTH of the story.  This Sunday, we are going to switch to the micro level, as we see the Christian beginnings of ONE of the converts to Christianity in those early days.  If the first 5 weeks of this series helped us learn the scale of the church’s growth, this week we will feel it through the conversion of one man.

If 10,000+ trusted Jesus, why is the story of just one of those converts highlighted?  It would be easy to say that the reason this one conversion is highlighted is because of the influence this one convert would have in the world – and this angle is both true and historical.  But by highlighting this one conversion story, something deeper is at play.  The Master Storyteller authored this moment in history NOT just to introduce a new character, but to reveal the heart of the Character who has been center stage all along: Jesus Christ.

In Acts 9:1-18, we get the conversion of a man named Saul (whose name changed to Paul), who would go on to plant churches in many significant cities throughout the Roman Empire AND write nearly half of the New Testament books.  Saul’s life was extremely consequential … but what is clear in Acts 9 is that in Paul’s conversion we learn WAY MORE ABOUT JESUS THAN WE DO ABOUT SAUL/PAUL!

At the macro level Jesus was building His church and the gates of hell would not prevail against it.  But at the micro level, Jesus’ amazing grace calls us by name, and not number.

I hope you can join us this Sunday at Wildwood Community Church for part 6 of “Deep + Wide” as we look at Acts 9:1-18, and learn more about God’s amazing grace.  See you Sunday in our 8:30, 9:45, and 11:00 service … and brings friends!  It will be a super Sunday.

On Sunday, February 2, 2025, at Wildwood Community Church, I preached a sermon based on Acts 6:1-7.  This message was part 5 of the “Deep + Wide” sermon series.  Below you will find questions related to the message for personal reflection or group discussion.  You will also find audio and video from the message to listen to/watch, download or share.

Sermon Questions:

1. Pray
2. Read Acts 6:1-7
3. What are some examples you have experienced in life of challenges as things that you are a part of have grown (family, work, church, etc.)?
4. In Acts 6:1-2, we see the first church in Jerusalem experience challenges as it has grown: the ball was dropped in the care for the Hellenist widows. Have you ever seen or experienced this first hand inside a growing church?  What happened?
5. The apostles were committed to their apostolic duty, but also understood that the needs were real and needed to be provided for.  Their solution was to mobilize a new set of leaders to attend to THAT task, so that the apostles could continue in their task.  Together, the 12 and the 7 could do the ministry the Lord had for them.  Have you ever seen leadership teams grow to address needs inside a growing church? 
6. How has the Lord gifted YOU for ministry?  What are ways the Lord might be preparing YOU to be the answer to some of the needs of a growing church?
7. Want more information about the Deep + Wide Campaign or to make a financial pledge to the facility expansion?  Visit wildwoodchurch.org/build
8. What is one particular application you took away from this message?

To access these questions in pdf format click here.

 

To listen to message offline, click the link:

Deep & Wide #5 2.2.25

 

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As something grows, it gets more complex.

When Kimberly and I first got married, we lived in a  500 square foot apartment.  This apartment had exactly 4 doors in it, and two of those doors connected to the bathroom that was the size of a small closet!  It was not luxurious, but it was effective for our life at that time: newlyweds in a new town.

Over time, our situation changed.  When we moved to Norman in 2001, we moved into a house that had 3 entire bedrooms … AND a living room!  Can you believe it?  This fit our life in that era, as we hosted dozens of people into our home each week as we were working in the college ministry at Wildwood.  Along with this larger house, however, came new responsibilities … mowing the lawn, raking leaves, fixing a roof leak that damaged the walls (no more did we have a landlord to call, it was on us now!) … and many other things.  The growth in our life brought exciting opportunities, but additional work and complexities.

Fast forward to today.  We now live in a different house (still only 3 bedrooms), but we now have 3 people living in that space, and a dog!  This has led us to further complicate life with things that accommodate raising a teenager, caring for an animal, and interacting with many more people now in my role as Senior Pastor.  The growth of our family has led to a more complex (and full) life.

We have limits to the complexities we can introduce into our lives.  Our family is only so big, our budget is limited, our emotional capacity is finite.  We find ourselves now asking questions like, “do we really want to plant that bush?  It would look pretty, but someone would then have to take care of it!”  Growth is good, but it has its limits.

I was thinking of this today as I looked at Acts 6:1-7.  This passage shows the very first church struggling with the growth it was experiencing.  Jesus said, “I will build My church …” and build it He did, starting in Jerusalem.  Within about a year, the church in Jerusalem had grown from just over 100 people to around 10,000 people (or more!)  That kind of growth meant the experience of the church had become more complex.  In fact, balls were getting dropped. The first church was not perfect.  Care was unevenly distributed among the people: not because the apostles didn’t care for all, but because they simply could not keep up with it all!

So, when the first church had this problem brought to their attention, what did they do?  Did they say, “we need to quit growing, it is too chaotic here?”  Did they say, “until we get everything perfect, we need to stop sharing our faith and making room for others?”  Did they say, “we are not going to plant any more spiritual seeds because someone will have to care for what grows in response?”

Nope.  That’s not what they said.

Instead they recognized something.  The growing width of the church actually set them up for continued depth of the church, as long as the apostles didn’t try to do it all themselves.  Jesus has built His church to scale, by equipping ALL believers with gifts to serve.  So as the church grows wider, it is increasingly filled with more gifted ministers!

A growing church is increasingly complex.  I have seen that first hand here at Wildwood Community Church.  But Jesus has a plan for that complexity, and it involves equipping and commissioning into service the Body of Christ.

This Sunday at Wildwood in our 8:30, 9:45, and 11:00 service, we will look at Acts 6:1-7 in part 5 of our “Deep + Wide” sermon series.  Hope you make plans to join us this week as we look at this exciting passage of Scripture together and ponder its significance for the church.  See you Sunday … and bring friends!

On Sunday, January 26, 2025, at Wildwood Community Church, I preached a sermon based on Acts 2:42-47.  This message was part 4 of the “Deep + Wide” sermon series.  Below you will find questions related to the message for personal reflection or group discussion.  You will also find audio and video from the message to listen to/watch, download or share.

Sermon Questions:

1. Pray
2. Read Acts 2:42-47
3. What are some favorite memories you have inside a church building?  How about favorite church memories or moments with the people of God?
4. Acts 2:42-47 gives us one of the few passages that describes a picture of the day to day life of the earliest church.  What stands out to you most about their experience?  What do you see that reminds you of churches you have experienced today?  In what ways is it different?
5. Are you devoted to the “apostles’ teaching” (New Testament)?  How about to the fellowship of a local church (attending, relationships, prayer, financially)?  What would it look like for you to either START or CONTINUE to be devoted to these things?
6. Who might the Lord have you share the good news of Jesus with this week?  Would you consider sharing the hope you have in Jesus with them and inviting them to church?
7. Want more information about the Deep + Wide Campaign or to make a financial pledge to the facility expansion?  Visit wildwoodchurch.org/build
8. What is one particular application you took away from this message?

To access these questions in pdf format click here.

 

To listen to message offline, click the link:

Deep & Wide #4 1.26.24

 

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Most of you know, I work vocationally at a church.  Today is my 24th  anniversary of being on staff at Wildwood Community Church.  For the past 9 years, I have been blessed to serve as the Senior Pastor.  I do not exaggerate when I say that serving Jesus here alongside an amazing leadership team and congregation has been one of the greatest honors of my life.

Because I work at the church, I have a unique privilege … I get to see a lot of what God is doing through Wildwood.  A lot of what He is doing is taking place away from our church building, in small groups in homes, among families, and through evangelistic outreaches in Norman and around the world in concert with our missionary partners.  God is at work!

But God also is at work through things happening in our building throughout the week.  Let’s take a look at a typical week around Wildwood’s facility:

Sunday morning:  Last Sunday we had over 1,000 people each hour gathering for worship and community (at our 9:45 and 11:00 hours) and over 300 at 8:30.  This includes people gathering for worship services, children, student, and adult Sunday school classes, and serving roles.  After church on Sunday, a collection of juniors and seniors in high school gathered for training and equipping as they serve their peers in Jesus’ name.

Monday-Friday during the day:  Our staff offices are filled with staff both preparing for ministry AND conducting ministry through discipleship, encouragement, and leadership development with the congregation.  Additionally, a number of groups (from local schools to our role as a local voting location for two precincts) use our facility for different programs.  We also hosted two memorial services in the past week.  We have a group of older adults (our Legacy Group for those 55+) that have lunch and a program once a month.  We also have a group that cares for our widows and provides programming options for them throughout the week (called Anna’s Friends).

Monday night:  Starting in less than two weeks (on February 3) Wildwood’s classrooms will be filled with adults taking our Equipping U. classes.  Already this semester, we have 137 adults enrolled in these classes designed to help equip followers of Jesus for the long haul.  (NOTE: there is still room to sign up at wildwoodchurch.org/eu to participate and connect with others this semester!)

Tuesday night:  Tuesday evenings are men’s Bible study nights at Wildwood.  Men gather to study the Scripture and encourage one another to walk with God, lead their families and live into God’s call on their lives.

Wednesday night:  Wednesday nights 100% of our building is used as we gather children in our AWANA classes, middle and high school students in their small groups, a women’s Bible study, and our worship team preparing for Sundays.  Over 500 people are here each Wednesday night for these opportunities.

Thursday morning:  On Thursday morning, Wildwood offers a number of different women’s Bible studies, as well as a children’s program for the children of those in the Bible study, aged pre-K and below.

Thursday night:  Wildwood is the Norman host for Bible Study Fellowship classes for men, women, and children.  Again, 100% of our building is used on this night helping people know and follow Christ.

Friday and Saturdays:  Activities on these two days vary, but include student ministry special events, leadership retreats for serving teams, weddings, and even an engagement (LAST SATURDAY AFTERNOON!)  We also host outreach events like the Mission Christmas Shoppe or “Parent Night Outs” for families in the Angels Foster Care network.

And Sunday … we start it all over again!

Now, why do I go through all of this?  I just want to highlight SOME of what the Lord is doing around Wildwood throughout each week.  As we move toward our facility expansion project in the Deep + Wide campaign, it is helpful to remember the depth and width of how God is using Wildwood each day of the week.

I also share these today, though, in preparation for our worship services at Wildwood on Sunday.  In our 8:30, 9:45, and 11:00 service this week we will be talking about what the VERY FIRST CHURCH did.  What did their week look like?  Where did they meet?  What kinds of things mattered to them?  We will explore this together on Sunday in part 4 of our series, as we explore Acts 2:42-47 (and a few other verses from chapters 3-5).  Make plans to be with us on Sunday … and bring friends!

On Sunday, January 19, 2025, at Wildwood Community Church, I preached a sermon based on Acts 2:37-41.  This message was part 3 of the “Deep + Wide” sermon series.  Below you will find questions related to the message for personal reflection or group discussion.  You will also find audio and video from the message to listen to/watch, download or share.

Sermon Questions:

1. Pray
2. Read Acts 2:37-41
3. What have been the sizes of some of the churches you have been a part of in your life?  What do you consider to be a “big” church?  What do you consider to be a “small” church?  What are some of the advantages and challenges that big churches face?  That small churches face?
4. The Holy Spirit is essential for the church to accomplish its God-given task.  The Spirit works both to communicate and to convict (in Acts 2:37-41).  In your life, how has the Holy Spirit worked to open your eyes to God’s truth?  How has the Holy Spirit convicted you of sin?
5. The response Peter gives to those convicted was to “repent for the forgiveness of sins,” “being baptized and receiving the Holy Spirt.”  When did you first “repent” of your attitude concerning Christ and begin to follow Him?
6. Have you been baptized since placing your faith in Christ?  If not, would you consider being baptized in our March 9 worship service?  To learn more, consider attending our baptism classes on January 26 at 11AM (visit wildwoodchurch.org/baptism for more details and to sign up)
7. As God leads you regarding participation in the Deep + Wide initiative, you can always respond and let us know your financial pledge by filling out a virtual card at wildwoodchurch.org/build or by filling out a pledge card located on the Deep + Wide tables near all main Wildwood entrances.
8. What is one particular application you took away from this message?

To access these questions in pdf format click here.

 

To listen to message offline, click the link:

Deep & Wide #3 1.19.25

 

To listen online, use media player below:

 

To watch online use YouTube:

 

 

 

You have heard me say this before … “big” and “small” are relative terms.  I grew up in Bartlesville, Oklahoma.  At a population of 35,000, Bartlesville was the “big city” for those who lived in nearby Dewey (population 3,400) or Ramona (population 500).  However, Bartlesville is a “small town” to those who lived in Tulsa (population 411,000) … and Tulsa is a small town to those who live in New York City (population 8.25 million)!  I could keep going, but you get the idea.

Occasionally, when people hear that I am a Pastor they will ask me what size of a church Wildwood is.  “Is it a big church?”  some will ask?  Well, that depends on your experience.

Wildwood is the biggest church I have ever been a part of, so to me, Wildwood is “big.”  Last Sunday, we had about 2,000 people attend our church.  To many that is a “big” church.  Since the average American church has 70 attenders each weekend and 2/3 of American churches average less than 250 people per Sunday … many might think that Wildwood Community Church is a “big” church.

But do you want to know which church makes Wildwood look “small”?  Well, it would be the very first church that ever existed … and it would be that church on its VERY FIRST DAY.  That’s right, on “launch day” for the very first church, it had an estimated 3,500 people!

Wildwood has been a church following Jesus and shining His light in our community for 57 years.  God has been faithful to grow our church steadily over that time to the size it is today.  The first church in Jerusalem in the book of Acts, though, grew from 500 to 3,500 after its first public service!!!!!  WOW!

Jesus said He would grow His church, and He has done that.  From 12 to 500 to 3,500 to over a million Christians by  250 AD to a cumulative estimated total of 14 billion Christians over the past 2000 years!  JESUS. IS. BUILDING. HIS. CHURCH!!!!!!!

This Sunday at Wildwood Community Church, we will look at “Launch Day” for the very first church, the church in Jerusalem that was born when the Holy Spirit indwelt the first followers of Jesus on the day of Pentecost.  We will dive into Acts 2:37-41 to see how Jesus was building His church Deep and Wide from the very beginning.  Join us in our 8:30, 9:45, or 11:00 services for part 3 of our “Deep + Wide” sermon series.  We will also celebrate the Lord’s Supper together.  See you Sunday … and bring friends!