On Sunday, July 6, 2025, Teaching Pastor Bruce Hess’ message is “Message 4” from our BLESSED! series. Below are some questions for your personal or group reflection.

1. I remember a time (I was around 9) when I decided I didn’t like my family.  I was ready to be welcomed and adopted into another family. I told my dad and mom I was leaving and climbed onto my bike and proceeded to ride around the area not sure where I was headed. Of course, my dad kept an eye on me and when it started to get dark I decided to head back home.  That was a wise decision. Was there ever a time in your life when you thought: I wish I was in another family?  If so, what prompted those feelings?
2. Bruce pointed out a comparison between justification and adoption in the life of a believer.  What stood out to you about that comparison?
3. Bruce said that adoption signifies we are not just ‘accepted’ by God, we are ‘cherished’ by Him. What does that tell us about how God values us?
4. Bruce said it is a joy to be chosen. List some benefits of knowing God wanted you to be a part of his forever family.
5. Our adoption, in effect, brought a smile to God’s face (one legitimate way of understanding the last phrase of Ephesians 1:5). Why do we tend to have doubts about how God views us?
6. The full unveiling of our adoption is yet to come. Share some thoughts about how we might feel when that day arrives.
7. Think of some specific people with whom you can use your ‘adoption story’ to share Jesus.
8. Johnson Oatman suggested we count our blessings, name them one-by-one, and see what God has done.  Spend some time in prayer thanking God for His great blessings in your life.  Ask him to refresh your perspective, rejuvenate your soul, and to rekindle your gratitude.

Egads!  July.  How can it be?  Well, we better get prepared…it’s here!!

I want to remind all of us to spend at least a few moments tomorrow (our national birthday) thanking God for blessing our nation all these decades.  He has been amazingly merciful and gracious to us. There are many things happening in our culture and many different perspectives. May God grant us unity and, indeed, may God bless America!

Ever wish you could have a deeper influence on the next generation?  Well, you can.  Our children’s ministry has some more open ministry spots of different kinds for the fall season. What an opportunity to tell kids about Jesus and to demonstrate to them that Gods loves them.  If you’d like to see God use you to help shape the next generation, just email Brooke for more information about the possibilities.

Just another reminder…this Sunday is an all-in Sunday.  No children, student, college or adult groups.  But we are excited about the opportunity to gather together in three services to worship our amazing Savior and to delve into His wonderful Word.  Come and join us…don’t miss out!

This Sunday we will conclude our series, Blessed! In message 4 we will look at a truly astonishing blessing—that we have been adopted into the most wonderful and valuable family in the universe…the family of God.  On the surface this may not appear that significant, but it is.  We look forward to mining this final nugget of our spiritual blessings together.

See you Sunday!

Bruce

On Sunday, June 29, 2025, Teaching Pastor Bruce Hess’ message is “Message 3” from our BLESSED! series. Below are some questions for your personal or group reflection.

1. There are times we have all struggled in our prayer life. We’ve faced a truly difficult situation and found ourselves thinking: I don’t know what God is doing AND I don’t really know what to pray, or how to pray about it. Share with others some of the details of such a time in your life.
2. Bruce listed some common reasons why believers don’t pray as they should: being overconfident, sin in one’s life, and busyness. Which reason stands out to you as most common? How should one respond to avoid that issue?
3. The Blessing of focus this week is the Spirit’s ministry of prayer intercession from Romans 8:26-27.  Bruce said this ministry/blessing is hardly known, rarely taught, and largely unappreciated. Why do you think that is?
4. One key verb in this passage states that the Spirit HELPS us in our weakness. The verb pictures one person helping another carry a load. Should would we just go “passive” and let the Holy Spirit do the praying for us? Why not?
5. The other key verb in this passage is that the Spirit INTERCEDES for us, according to the will of God. Explain more of what that means.
6. Romans 8:26 says the Spirit intercedes for us with ‘groanings too deep for words.’ Some in the church at large claim this is a description of speaking in tongues.  How would you counter that assertion?
7. Corrie Ten Boom asked, Is prayer your steering wheel or your spare tire?  Share in your own words what she was emphasizing.
8. What stood out most to you from this message?
9. A good prayer practice is to use NT prayers as a guideline for our prayers for ourselves and others.  Here’s some examples:  Ephesians 1:15-23, 3:14-21; Philippians 1:9-11; Colossians 1:9-12.  Choose one to practice with right now.

Hey Wildwood Family!

Two streams of thought have been running through my mind this week.  One, with all the events unfolding in the middle east these past days, I am so glad we have a God who is always on the throne, always sovereign.  He rules from on high (Psalm 2).

Second, what a wonderful treat for our capital city (and state) to have our NBA team be world champions!  And we have an outstanding group of men representing us on the Thunder.  I’ve never lived in an NBA championship city before (of course, Norman is part of OKC extended).  I like it.  No, I love it!  Let’s do that again.

Please remember to pray for our Wildwood students as they are at camp (around 152 students, middle and high school, and some 31 leaders).  May there be open ears to hear, teachable and reachable hearts, and a renewed desire to honor the Lord in all that’s said and done.  Exciting!

This Sunday will be part 3 of our 4-part series entitled, Blessed!;We will be mining for a special blessing nugget in Romans 8:26-27.  This is a blessing that many are unaware of, but one that is so wonderfully encouraging.  We will be looking at the blessing of the Spirit’s ministry of prayer intercession for us.  It’s a mysterious, but meaty passage.  I can’t wait.

See you Sunday!

Bruce

On Sunday, June 22, 2025, Teaching Pastor Bruce Hess’ message is “Message 2” from our BLESSED! series. Below are some questions for your personal or group reflection.

1. Why is it we can be so prone to feel at times like our Christian life has lost its “pizzazz,” like we are just coasting along? What contributes to this? Discuss.

2. Ray Stedman said that people can still be “babes in Christ” no matter how long they have been Christians. Why does that happen?

3. Note some of the biblical evidence Bruce cited that underscores the Holy Spirit is indeed a person, not some force.

4. Share some ways in your life that the Holy Spirit has been guiding you into the Truth over time.

5. It is a startling reality that while the Holy Spirit is omnipresent (like the rest of the Godhead) his special place of residence is in the believer…in you and me. Reflect on what that means.

6. Discuss the ramifications of Ephesians 1:14.

7. Charles Spurgeon made this observation:
If I am not walking in obedience to God, I am breaking the law of the house, and that house is the house of the Living God. Should we not take heed lest we insult the King in His own palace?

Are there any doors you need to open to Him? Any shift in perspective or life choices you should make? Ask the Holy Spirit to lead and guide you.

Hey Wildwood Family!

I don’t know about you, but I have to admit—while I have loved having the great blessing of rain for our state (all the lakes and ponds are full, and there is currently no county in the entire state considered under any type of drought status, which by the way, I don’t ever recall happening before in my 46 years in Oklahoma)—I am SO ready for 5-6-7 days in a row of sunshine.  How about you?

This is an exciting week for Janet and me as Jennifer and Zac (and family) are coming back from Mexico for several weeks largely for medical checkups and tests.  We love how they serve so faithfully in Mexico, but we also love being able to see them and Summer and Max. Grandkids are wonderful!

Just a reminder, we will have Baptism Classes this Sunday (in anticipation of an upcoming Baptism Sunday).  If you’ve considered honoring the Lord through baptism, why not catch a baptism class in the 11:00 hour Sunday.  Children’s class will be in the Lodge (downstairs children’s theater) and the student/adult class will be just off the worship center near the offices in Room 227 (a conference room and Mark’s office).

Also, it’s not too late to join in on men’s and women’s summer bible studies.  The men meet on Wednesday and the women on Thursday, both at 7pm.  You can sign up at wildwoodchurch.org/adult.

This Sunday we will continue our study entitled Blessed! with message #2.  Our plan has been to mine 4 nuggets of the blessings God has provided for each of us from Romans chapter 8.  The first was No Condemnation.  The second one has something to do with the Holy Spirit.  Ya gotta come to find out more!

See you Sunday!

Bruce

On Sunday, June 15, 2025, Teaching Pastor Bruce Hess’ message is “Message 1” from our BLESSED! series. Below are some questions for your personal or group reflection.

1. We all experience life’s ‘twists and turns,’ its ‘ups and downs.’ Briefly share a recent struggle you have faced. How did God encourage you “in the midst” of it?
2. Bruce stated that it is easy for us to fall victim to what he called “the 4 Ds.” List the 4 Ds in order. Note how one “D” can often lead to the next. Share how you—or someone you may know—experienced the downward flow of the 4 Ds.
3. Ephesians 1:3 states that as believers, God has blessed (past tense) us with every spiritual blessing. Since Ephesians 1:3-14 is one long sentence, identify a blessing from those verses that encourages you as a follower of Jesus.
4. Romans 8:1 states an amazing blessing!  What is the basis/cause of this blessing, and when does it take effect?
5. How should this great blessing impact us when we are ‘in the midst’ of life’s ups and downs?
6. Take some time in prayer to delight in and rejoice in the great blessing of Romans 8:1.