What happens when the Super Bowl comes to town?  No doubt, the Super Bowl makes a lot of money – well over a billion dollars annually including advertising, ticket sales, etc. –  but what about for the towns that HOST the Super Bowl?  What is the economic impact for them?  Well, according to a recent study, New Orleans (which hosted this month’s Super Bowl) made $500 million off the game.  WOW!  That is a super bowl of money!  When the big game comes to town, it makes a big impact … enough that the local merchants certainly took notice.

I was thinking about this today as I was reading Acts 19.  In this chapter, the Gospel comes to the city of Ephesus … and when the apostle Paul brings the Gospel to this city, there is a super impact.  An impact that is felt by the local merchants.  How big of an impact did the Gospel bring?  Well, the text tells us the people responded to the Gospel message by sacrificing today’s equivalence of $7.5 million in valuables! That is no Super Bowl, but it is quite the impact for a brand new movement known as “The Way.”  And when I say sacrifice, I mean DESTROYED … not that they gave these valuables to charity, but that they destroyed them a bonfire!  And not only did people sacrifice that kind of value, but they also stopped buying other things, as their affections shifted.  This created such a profound impact that a local trade guild started a riot to try to drive the Christians out of town, because the life change that was occurring among the people in response to the Gospel was threatening to drive certain trades out of business.  WOW!  What an impact!

This Sunday at Wildwood Community Church in part 8 of our “Deep + Wide” series, we will be looking at Acts 19:17-27 to see what happens when the Gospel sets up shop in the hearts of genuine Christ followers living in pagan surroundings … it has such a deep impact that the surrounding city takes notice!  How might the Gospel impact our community as it takes off?  We will talk about that this Sunday as we dive deep into the Scripture together.  Hope to see you Sunday in our 8:30, 9:45, and 11:00 service … and bring friends!

On Sunday, February 16, 2025, at Wildwood Community Church, I preached a sermon based on Acts 13:1-3.  This message was part 7 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 13:1-3
3. Have you ever been on a missions trip before?  What was the purpose of the trip and what are the strongest memories you have of the experience?
4. In 13:1 we see a list of leaders from the church in Antioch.  This is a diverse group!  Have you ever been a part of a group of people with very diverse backgrounds that came together as one?  What created the unity?  How does Jesus make this kind of unity among diverse people possible inside the church today?
5. When was the last time you prayed and fasted for the mission of Jesus in the world?  Take some time to pray specifically for the church Jesus is growing ever wider around the world.
6. Share the names of some missionaries that you know and/or pray for/support.  What is the nature of their work?  What encourages you about the ministry Jesus is working through them today?
7. In what way are you personally participating in taking the Gospel to the world?  Giving, prayer, personally going, helping send others?
8. Being For the Nations flows through the local church.  Have you considered being a part of the Deep+Wide campaign at Wildwood?  Find out more info at wildwoodchurch.org/build
9. What stands out to you most from this message?  Any particular takeaway?

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Deep & Wide #7 2.16.25

 

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I am a sinful person.  My desires are not always pure and my actions not always righteous.  More often than I want to admit, the grid through which I process a situation is “what’s in it for me?”

Can anyone relate?

Because of that, I should not be surprised that in my flesh, I often think that whatever I see is for me.  Last slice of cake?  Must be mine.  Last $20 in my wallet?  Must be for MY lunch.  $50 for a birthday gift?  What do I WANT?  Our flesh puts the center of gravity in OURSELVES, putting everyone and everything around us in our orbit.

This attitude is not just present in our attitude toward things, it also even filters into the way we think about our church.  We want the best leader leading MY small group.  We want the best preacher preaching the service that I ATTEND.  We want the best worship band leading ME in worship on Sundays.  We want the coolest most amazing Youth or Children’s Pastor impacting MY KIDS.  We put ourselves at the center, and we don’t let anything get too far removed from our gravitational pull.

Because of this dynamic, we find what happens in Acts 13:1-3 quite alien.  A long time ago, in a time before ANY CHURCHES sent people out on mission trips, one church (in Antioch) released their beloved Senior Pastor and his hotshot young teaching protege out on an extended missionary journey.  They took up a collection, they released them from their Antioch specific duties, and they sent them off to lead OTHERS, to preach to THOSE WHO HAD NOT HEARD, and to lead OTHER PEOPLE’S FAMILIES to the throne of grace.  All this meant that the pulpit in Antioch and the Sunday school classes in their hallways would be led by someone else.  How amazing is this!?!?

To put this in practical terms, imagine a hypothetical situation where Wildwood gathered for worship on Sunday and had a particularly amazing time of worship and prayer … and at the end of that service, commissioned our two favorite staff pastors (whoever that might be) to take the Gospel to a foreign land, leaving Wildwood to serve in another field.  Now some of you might be excited by the change, but some of you would also be sad by this development!  What could enable a congregation to move past their personal agenda to take such missional action?

People with themselves at the center would almost never send someone they like to permanently serve someone else.  They would want to keep them around to serve THEIR needs.  However, in Christ, there is another option.

If Jesus (not us) is at the center, and His glory is at the forefront, then everything exists to honor Him.  And Jesus has said that the Gospel is to go “into all the world, making disciples of ALL NATIONS …”  So, churches in sync with the Savior do not collect ministers like stamps, but instead send them out to the ends of the earth.  Instead of relegating missionary activities to those who “can’t cut it here,” the Spirit-empowered church is open to sending its best to those who have not heard.  The task is that important!

This Sunday, February 16, 2025 at Wildwood, we will continue our study of the very first church in the book of Acts, following its continued growth toward the ends of the earth.  This week we will see how the church in Antioch launched the first missionary movement, sending their best and brightest to the world.  May we be reminded in this study that the church Jesus is building, a church that is both Deep + Wide, is a church that is FOR THE NATIONS, and is mobilizing its resources to share Christ among those who have never heard.  See you Sunday in our 8:30, 9:45, and 11:00 service as we share communion, study Acts 13:1-3, and worship together.  See you Sunday … and bring friends!

On Sunday, February 9, 2025, at Wildwood Community Church, I preached a sermon based on Acts 9:1-18.  This message was part 6 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 9:1-18
3. In past weeks we have talked about the big growth that occurred on the macro level to the church in Jerusalem.  This week we are looking at the micro story … the conversion of one man – Saul of Tarsus.  How does looking at the story of Jesus building the church from these two different perspectives give you a greater appreciation for God’s grace and love?
4. Saul was NOT on the road to awesome; he was on the road to awful!  Yet Jesus demonstrated His love for Saul in that while he was still sinning, Jesus died for him!  This is a vivid picture of salvation by God’s grace.  Do you understand your own salvation to be a product of God’s grace, or do you think of your salvation more as a story of your achievement or spiritual progress?
5. Is there anyone you have “written off” as unreachable by God that this story today might encourage you to pray for or evangelize anew? 
6. Conversion happens in a moment, but maturity happens over a lifetime.  How does reflecting on the timeline for Paul’s life encourage you about God’s commitment to maturing us, not just collecting us?
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?

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Deep & Wide #6 2.9.25

 

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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.

 

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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.

 

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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.

 

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Deep & Wide #3 1.19.25

 

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