Oaks Parish

The Oaks Parish PodcastBryan Buck & Martha Van Houten

The Oaks Parish PodcastBryan Buck & Martha Van HoutenHelpful Links:Click here to sign up for a discipleship group today!Liturgy of the Ordinary by Tish Harrison Warren

Scripture Text: Colossians 3:1-17Bryan BuckQuotes for ReflectionRobert M Thune and Will Walker, The Gospel-Centered LifeEvery good story has a hero. And the hero of the Gospel Story is Jesus. Humanity needs a Savior, a Redeemer, a Deliverer to free us from the bondage and condemnation of sin and to restore the world to its original good. This Rescuer must be truly human in order to pay the debt we owe to God. But he can’t be merely human because he must conquer sin. We need a substitute-one who can live the life of obedience we’ve failed to live, and who can stand in our place to bear the punishment we deserve for our disobedience and sin. This is why God sent Jesus into the world to be our substitute. Peter Wohlleben, The Hidden Life of TreesThere is a good reason for this ideal appearance: stability. The large crowns of mature trees are exposed to turbulent winds, torrential rains, and heavy loads of snow. The tree must cushion the impact of these forces, which travel down the trunk to the roots. The roots must hold out under the onslaught so that the tree doesn’t topple over. If there is a weak spot anywhere in the tree, it will crack. In the worst-case scenario, the trunk breaks off completely and the whole crown tumbles down. Evenly formed trees absorb the shock of buffeting forces, using their shape to direct and divide these forces throughout their structure. N.T. Wright, Colossians for EveryoneLearning to think, rather than merely going with the flow of the world on the one hand, or blindly obeying what look like stringent regulations on the other, is part of the key to it all. One aspect of Christian maturity, and certainly one of the road signs on the surprising route to Christian holiness, is that the mind must grasp the truth: ‘you died, and your life has been hidden with the king, in God!’ Once the mind has grasped it, the heart and will may start to come on board. And once that happens the way lies open to joyful Christian holiness.Application Questions1. How does who/what we love shape who we become? 2. In what particular ways does Colossians 3:1-17 reveal the uniqueness of the gospel compared to other approaches to personal change and transformation?3. What earthly patterns or behaviors need to be put to death in your life, and how might a shift in your spiritual rhythms lead to lasting transformation?

The Oaks Parish PodcastBryan Buck & Martha Van HoutenRecommendations for Further Reading:The Prodigal God by Tim KellDeeper by Dane Ortlund

Scripture Text: John 15:1-17Bryan BuckQuotes for ReflectionT.S. Elliot, “Little Gidding”, Four QuartetsWe shall not cease from explorationAnd the end of all our exploringWill be to arrive where we startedAnd know the place for the first time.Tim Keller, Prodigal GodThe prerequisite for receiving the grace of God is to know you need it.Dane Ortlund, Gentle and LowlyHe astounds and sustains us with his endless kindness. Only as we walk ever deeper into this tender kindness can we live the Christian life the New Testament calls us to. Only as we drink down the kindness of the heart of Christ will we leave in our wake, everywhere we go, the aroma of heaven, and die one day having startled the world with glimpses of a divine kindness too great to be boxed in by what we deserve. D.A. Carson, The Gospel According to JohnJesus insists that his own obedience to the Father is the ground of his joy; and he promises that those who obey him will share the same joy–indeed, that his very purpose in laying down such demands is that their joy may be complete (cf. 1 Jn. 1:4). What is presupposed is that human joy in a fallen world will at best be ephemeral, shallow, incomplete, until human existence is overtaken by an experience of the love of God in Christ Jesus, the love for which we were created, a mutual love that issues in obedience without reserve. The Son does not give his disciples his joy as a discrete package; he shares his joy insofar as they share his obedience, the obedience that willingly faces death to self-interest (12:24–26).Application Questions1. In what ways does the anatomy of a tree illustrate the gospel of grace available to us in Christ? Consider the roots, branches, and fruit in your reflection.2. Grace is the paradoxical means by which God produces fruit in our lives. As you reflect on your heart, what attitudes, habits, or distractions might God be calling you to prune so that the fruit of His grace can flourish?3. As we embark on a new ministry year, what intentional step can you take to deepen your relationship with Jesus and experience His grace more fully?

Scripture Text: 1 Samuel 30Bryan BuckQuotes for ReflectionRoger Ellsworth, The Shepherd King: Learning from the Life of David To strengthen ourselves in God means we remind ourselves of what Scripture says about God and his promises, and we bring those truths to bear on the situation. Every trial causes opposing voices to ring in the ears of the child of God. One is the voice of our circumstances, telling us that our situation is hopeless. The other is the voice of faith, telling us that our God is sufficient for the trial.Ralph David, 1 Samuel Here is a sobering and disturbing picture for God’s people. Are there not times when you think it cannot get any worse? And 1 Samuel 30 says, Yes, it can. There are times when you conclude that your present trouble is the last straw; you simply cannot take any more. Then comes Ziklag, the last straw after the last straw.John O’Donohue, Anam Cara: A Book of Celtic Wisdom When you send love out from the bountifulness of your own love, it reaches other people. This love is the deepest power of prayer. Prayer is the act and presence of sending this light from the bountifulness of your love to other people to heal, free, and bless them.Application Questions1. How have you experienced “the last straw after the last straw”? 2. Why does the victory of Jesus lead to the restoration of life? 3. What’s one thing you can change about your habits in order to be strengthened in the Lord?

Scripture Text: Revelation 1:9-20David BastQuotes for ReflectionG. B. Caird, The Revelation of St. John the DivineThe description of the Son of Man is full of Old Testament phrases, which we may trackdown to their various sources. . . But to compile such a catalogue is to unweave therainbow. John uses his allusions . . . for their evocative and emotive power. . . His aim isto set the echoes of memory and association ringing. . . John has seen the risen Christ,clothed in all the attributes of deity, and he wishes to call forth from his readers the sameresponse of overwhelming and annihilating wonder which he experienced in hisprophetic trance.James Denney, Studies in TheologyThere is not in the New Testament from beginning to end, in the record of the originaland genuine Christian life, a single word of despondency or gloom. It is the mostbuoyant, exhilarating and joyful book in the world. The men who write it have indeed allthat is hard and painful in the world to encounter; but they are of good courage, becauseChrist has overcome the world, and when the hour of conflict comes they descendcrowned into the arena. All this is due to their faith in Christ’s exaltation, and in hisconstant presence with them in the omnipotence of his grace.Richard Bauckham, The Theology of the Book of RevelationRevelation . . . reminds us that the church’s witness to the world is authentic only asprimarily a witness to truth – to the one true God and the truth of his righteousness andgrace. In western societies today this witness to the truth . . . faces a relativistic despair ofthe possibility of truth and, even more, a consumerist neglect of the relevance of truth. . .Revelation . . . shows the power of a theocentric vison to confront oppression, injusticeand inhumanity. In the end it is only a purified vision of the transcendence of God thatcan effectively resist the human tendency to idolatry. . . The worship of the true God isthe power of resistance to the deification of military and political power and economicprosperity. In the modern age we may add that it is what can prevent movements ofresistance to injustice and oppression from dangerously absolutizing themselves.

Scripture Text: 1 Samuel 28:3-25Andy TobinPaul Miller, A Praying LifeBut unlike these other kinds of experts, power in prayer comes from being in touch with your weakness. To teach us how to pray, Jesus told stories of weak people who knew they couldn’t do life on their own. The persistent widow and the friend at midnight get access, not because they are strong but because they are desperate. Learned desperation is at the heart of a praying life.John of Landsberg, A Letter from Jesus ChristI know those moods when you sit there utterly alone, pining, eaten up with unhappiness, in a pure state of grief. You don’t move towards me but desperately imagine that everything you have ever done has been utterly lost and forgotten. This near-despair and self-pity are actually a form of pride. What you think was a state of absolute security from which you’ve fallen was really trusting too much in your own strength and ability. Profound depression and perplexity of mind often follow on a loss of hope, when what really ails you is that things simply haven’t happened as you expected and wanted. In fact, I don’t want you to rely on your own strength and abilities and plans, but to distrust them and to distrust yourself, and to trust me and no one and nothing else. As long as you rely entirely on yourself, you are bound to come to grief. You still have a most important lesson to learn: your own strength will no more help you to stand upright than propping yourself on a broken reed. You must not despair of me. You may hope and trust in me absolutely. My mercy is infinite. Eugene H. Peterson, Run with the HorsesIt is, of course, far easier to languish in despair than to live in hope, for when we live in despair we don't have to do anything or risk anything. We can live lazily and shiftlessly with an untarnished reputation for practicality, current with the way things appear. It is fashionable to espouse the latest cynicism. If we live in hope, we go against the stream. Application QuestionsAre there any circumstances in life that make you feel desperate? How might you direct your desperation toward God? How is God calling you to seek him wholeheartedly? Is there any part of God’s will for your life that you have not yet embraced?

Sermon Text: 1 Samuel 27:1-12; 28:1-2Bryan BuckQuotes for ReflectionTim Chester, 1 Samuel for You The state of our hearts is often shaped by what we say to our hearts.A.W. Pink, The Life of David Alas, when unbelief dominates us, God is forgotten, and deliverance, our own ease, obsess the mind; and hence it is that—unless divine grace interpose—we seek relief in the wrong quarter and by unspiritual means.Richard D. Phillips, 1 Samuel It is true—no, it is a glorious truth—that the heroes of the Bible, excepting Jesus Christ, are all scoundrels and criminals, breakers of God’s law and sinners to the core. This shows the Bible’s honesty; no other religious tome dares to display the human weakness and sins of its heroes the way the Bible does, because the Bible is not trusting in man but in God.Application Questions1. David was concerned not only for himself but also for the welfare of family, friends, and others entrusted to him. How does this resonate with your own experience?2. In what way might you be tempted to take matters into your own hands right now? What has resulted from that decision in the past, and what does it look like to trust God instead? 3. How do you need to preach the gospel to yourself this week?

Scripture Text: Colossians 3:1-17Mike KellyQuotes for ReflectionJohn Calvin, The Institutes of the Christian Religion Nearly all the wisdom which we possess, that is to say, true and sound wisdom, consists of two parts: the knowledge of God and of ourselves. But, while joined by many bonds, which one precedes and brings for the other is not easy to discern.

Scripture Text: 1 Samuel 25Quincy Robinson

Scripture Text: 1 Samuel 24Bryan BuckQuotes for ReflectionDavid Brooks, How to Know a Person Jimmy’s gaze when he greets a person derives from a certain conception of what a person is. Jimmy is a pastor. When Jimmy sees a person—any person—he is seeing a creature who was made in the image of God. As he looks into each face, he is looking, at least a bit, into the face of God. When Jimmy sees a person, any person, he is also seeing a creature endowed with an immortal soul—a soul of infinite value and dignity. When Jimmy greets a person, he is also trying to live up to one of the great callings of his faith: He is trying to see that person the way Jesus would see that person. He is trying to see them with Jesus’s eyes—eyes that lavish love on the meek and the lowly, the marginalized and those in pain, and on every living person. When Jimmy sees a person, he comes in with the belief that this person is so important that Jesus was willing to die for their sake. As a result, Jimmy is going to greet people with respect and reverence. That’s how he’s always greeted me.A.W. Pink, The Life of David One stroke of his sword, and he steps into a throne. Farewell to poverty! Farewell the life of a hunted goat. Reproaches, sneers, defeat, would cease; adulations, triumphs, riches would be his. But his at the sacrifice of faith; at the sacrifice of a humbled will, ever waiting on God’s time; at the sacrifice of a thousand precious experiences of God’s care, God’s provision, God’s guidance, God’s tenderness. No, even a throne at that price is too dear. Faith will wait.Tim Keller, Forgiveness Forgiveness is more of an event or a process. At first, when you make those commitments—granting forgiveness—you don’t feel forgiving at all. You are still angry. But if you keep the commitments in a disciplined way…then slowly but surely you will feel the forgiveness you have granted. Application Questions:1. How have you experienced the power of mercy in your life? 2. To experience gospel-empowered mercy requires sacrifice but offers great gain. How is this true?3. Is there someone in your life who needs mercy?

Scripture Text: 1 Samuel 23Andy TobinQuotes for ReflectionAndrew Murray, Waiting on God Oh, the blessedness of waiting on such a God! a very present help in every time of trouble; a shield and defense against every danger. Children of God! will you not learn to sink down in entire helplessness and impotence, and in stillness to wait and see the salvation of God? In the utmost spiritual famine, and when death appears to prevail, oh, wait on God. He does deliver, He does keep alive. Say it not only in solitude, but say it to each other— Psalm 33 speaks not of one but of God's people—'Our soul waits on the Lord: He is our help and our shield.' Strengthen and encourage each other in the holy exercise of waiting, that each may not only say it of himself, but of his brethren, 'We have waited for Him; we will be glad and rejoice in His salvation.' Mark Vroegop, Waiting Isn’t a Waste Waiting on God is living on what I know to be true about God when I don’t know what’s true about my life. Henry Smith O Lord, grant that I may dedicate all my hope unto your providence, power, and mercy, only commending all my troubles, miseries, calamities, adversities, and crosses whatsoever unto you only to be relieved and comforted. O let me not so much as think that the hand of man can hold me up in the least of my dangers, and yet my God, since you work sometimes by means, and sometimes without means, let me not refuse the aid of man, whom it may please you to raise and appoint for my good. Amen. William Cowper, stanzas 3-5 of “God Moves in a Mysterious Way” Ye fearful saints fresh courage take, the clouds that you much dread, are big with mercy and will break in blessings on your head. Judge not the Lord by feeble sense, but trust him for his grace; behind a frowning providence, he hides a smiling face. His purposes will ripen fast, unfolding every hour; the bud may have a bitter taste, but sweet will be the flower. Application Questions:1. Concerning what specific situation in your life is God calling you to seek him? 2. What truth or promise do you need to cling to for your own encouragement or share with someone else for their encouragement? 3. How have you experienced God’s providential deliverance from trouble?

Scripture Text: 1 Samuel 21-22:5Bryan BuckQuotes for ReflectionWendell Berry, Jayber Crow, A Novel Telling a story is like reaching into a granary full of wheat and drawing out a handful. There is always more to tell than can be told.Dane Ortland, DeeperTo grow as a disciple of Christ is not adding Christ to your life but collapsing into Christ as your life. Closed vents can’t be cleaned, full cups can’t be filled, and the Spirit does not enter where we are quietly operating out of self-dependence. But the distraught, the empty, the pleading, the self-despairing, those tired of paying the tax of obedience to God and trying to live on what’s left over—theirs are hearts irresistible to the humble Holy SpiritRoger Ellsworth, The Shepherd KingIt is, to be sure, a most costly decision. Those who left Saul’s kingdom to join David left behind many comforts and conveniences and entered into a life that entailed sacrifice and suffering, but the peace and joy of being a follower of David far surpassed the hardships involved. So it is for all those who, by the grace of God, leave Satan’s kingdom for Christ’s.6Tim Chester, 1st Samuel for YouDavid describes his experience in the cave of Adullam in Psalms 57 and 142. In Psalm 142:4 he says: “I have no refuge”. But immediately in the next verse he goes on to say of the Lord: “You are my refuge”. This encourages us to think of all the times when we are tempted to think or to say: I have no refuge; I have no hope; I have no future; I have no one. This may be our experience and it is real enough. But there is a bigger reality, and it is to this that faith turns: God is my refuge; God is my hope; God is my future; I have God.Application Questions1. Distressed, delirious, downtrodden- Do any of these terms describe your life right now? 2. Why is vulnerability a prerequisite for the power of the gospel? How do you personally find yourself resistant to this posture? 3. How did God meet David in his time of need, and how might that give you hope for your circumstance?

Scripture Text: 1 Samuel 19Quincy Robinson

Scripture Text: 1 Samuel 18:1-4; 19:1-17Bryan BuckQuotes for ReflectionWilliam Blaikie, 1 Samuel In the case of Jesus Christ, we have all the noble qualities of Jonathan in far higher excellence than his, and we have this further consideration, that for us He has laid down His life, and that none who receive His friendship can ever be separated from His love.”Jeremey Linneman, Why Do We Feel Lonely at Church? It’s helpful to think of our daily lives in terms of discipleship patterns, the habits of life we have learned both intentionally and unintentionally. In this broad sense, discipleship is always happening: We become what we consume, as our patterns of life direct and dictate our deepest feelings, thoughts, and motives. We are always being conformed to the heart and personality and lifestyle of another person or system.C.S. Lewis, The Four LovesIn Friendship…we think we have chosen our peers. In reality, a few years’ difference in the dates of our births, a few more miles between certain houses, the choice of one university instead of another, posting to different regiments, the accident of a topic being raised or not raised at a first meeting—any of these chances might have kept us apart. But, for a Christian, there are, strictly speaking, no chances. A secret Master of the Ceremonies has been at work. Christ, who said to the disciples, ‘Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you,’ can truly say to every group of Christian friends, ‘You have not chosen one another but I have chosen you for one another.’ The Friendship is not a reward for our discrimination and good taste in finding one another out. It is the instrument by which God reveals to each the beauties of all the others. They are no greater than the beauties of a thousand other men; by Friendship God opens our eyes to them. They are, like all beauties, derived from Him, and then, in a good Friendship, increased by Him through the Friendship itself, so that it is His instrument for creating as well as for revealing. At this feast it is He who has spread the board and it is He who has chosen the guests. It is He, we may dare to hope, who sometimes does, and always should, preside. Let us not reckon without our Host.Application Questions1. Consider someone who’s been a good friend to you. What’s made them a good friend? 2. How did gospel faith characterize David’s friendship with Jonathan and Michal? 3. What’s one action you can take this week to cultivate friendship?

Scripture Text: 1 Samuel 18:1-4; 19:1-17Bryan BuckQuotes for ReflectionWilliam Blaikie, 1 Samuel In the case of Jesus Christ, we have all the noble qualities of Jonathan in far higher excellence than his, and we have this further consideration, that for us He has laid down His life, and that none who receive His friendship can ever be separated from His love.”Jeremey Linneman, Why Do We Feel Lonely at Church? It’s helpful to think of our daily lives in terms of discipleship patterns, the habits of life we have learned both intentionally and unintentionally. In this broad sense, discipleship is always happening: We become what we consume, as our patterns of life direct and dictate our deepest feelings, thoughts, and motives. We are always being conformed to the heart and personality and lifestyle of another person or system.C.S. Lewis, The Four LovesIn Friendship…we think we have chosen our peers. In reality, a few years’ difference in the dates of our births, a few more miles between certain houses, the choice of one university instead of another, posting to different regiments, the accident of a topic being raised or not raised at a first meeting—any of these chances might have kept us apart. But, for a Christian, there are, strictly speaking, no chances. A secret Master of the Ceremonies has been at work. Christ, who said to the disciples, ‘Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you,’ can truly say to every group of Christian friends, ‘You have not chosen one another but I have chosen you for one another.’ The Friendship is not a reward for our discrimination and good taste in finding one another out. It is the instrument by which God reveals to each the beauties of all the others. They are no greater than the beauties of a thousand other men; by Friendship God opens our eyes to them. They are, like all beauties, derived from Him, and then, in a good Friendship, increased by Him through the Friendship itself, so that it is His instrument for creating as well as for revealing. At this feast it is He who has spread the board and it is He who has chosen the guests. It is He, we may dare to hope, who sometimes does, and always should, preside. Let us not reckon without our Host.Application Questions1. Consider someone who’s been a good friend to you. What’s made them a good friend? 2. How did gospel faith characterize David’s friendship with Jonathan and Michal? 3. What’s one action you can take this week to cultivate friendship?

The Oaks Parish PodcastBryan Buck & Martha Van Houten

Scripture Text: 1 Samuel 18:5-30Bryan BuckQuestions for ReflectionRichard D. Phillips, 1 Samuel, The Reformed Expository CommentaryThe safest habit is for us to leave others’ opinions of us to themselves, concerning ourselves more deeply with what God thinks of our character and actions. Saul shows us what becomes true of anyone who craves personal praise: he loses the capacity for both joy and love. Not long previously, we were told that “Saul loved [David] greatly” (1 Sam. 16:21). Now, because of his own proud and insecure spirit, Saul begins to loathe and fear a young man who has been nothing but faithful in service to him.Thomas Merton, The Seven Storey MountainEnvy feeds on our illusions and misunderstandings about ourselves and others. When we come to understand our true identity in God, we realize that we are uniquely loved and gifted. This awareness diminishes the power of envy, as we no longer feel the need to compare ourselves with others. Instead, we can appreciate our unique path and the blessings bestowed upon us, recognizing that God’s love is abundant and tailored for each individual Timothy Keller, “The Evil of Envy”, Gospel in Life Envy is a complex emotion that involves more than just a desire for what others possess. It encompasses a deep sense of resentment and discontentment with one’s own situation, coupled with an inability to rejoice in others’ blessings. This emotion can eat away at one’s peace and joy, creating a cycle of bitterness and dissatisfaction. S. G. DeGraaf, The Promise and DeliveranceOnly faith makes us willing to be the lesser. Faith causes us to surrender the rights we pretend to have.Application Questions1. Where does envy tend to show up in your life? 2. What do we learn about envy’s effect from Saul’s experience? 3. What’s one way that the gospel can set you from the bondage of envy this week?

Scripture Text: 1 Samuel 17:20-50Bryan BuckQuotes for ReflectionJeremiah 9:23-24 Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the LORD who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the LORD. Caesarius of Arles, Sermon 121.4, Sixth Century All that we read prefigured in David at that time, dearly beloved, we know was accomplished in our Lord Jesus Christ; for he strangled the lion and the bear when he descended into hell to free all the saints from their jaws.William Blaikie, Expository Lectures on 1 Samuel Should we not pray more really, more earnestly if we did realize these possibilities? . . . Is it not a good habit, as you kneel each morning, to think, ‘For aught I know, this may be the most important day of my life. The opportunity may be given me of doing a great service in the cause of truth and righteousness; or the temptation may assail me to deny my Lord and ruin my soul. O God, be not far from me this day; prepare me for all that Thou preparest for me!’Richard D. Phillips, The Reformed Expository Commentary David’s response to the situation at Elah teaches us that the great affairs of life are all essentially theological. What we do with our lives, how we decide whom to marry, or not, what priorities we pursue, or whether we witness the gospel to friends and neighbors all reveal what we really believe about God. Regardless of our formal profession of faith, if we seldom act on the basis of biblical truth, we show that the world holds greater sway over our minds and hearts than God does. If we shrink from doing difficult things for God, we show that we think him weak, distant, or indifferent.Heath Thomas & J.D. Grear, Exalting Jesus in 1 & 2 Samuel Goliath is not really the problem here. A leather strap and a little rock can fix him. The real menacing giant in this story is the unbelief that dominates the hearts of God’s people. The obstacle is not found in God; it is not found in God’s opponents; it is found in God’s own people. I suspect God was more insulted by Israel’s disbelief than He was by Goliath’s blatant, blasphemous defiance.Application Questions1. What feels overwhelming right now?2. What does this story have to say about our tendency to trust in outward appearance? 3. How can trust in the victory of Christ change how you approach a particular this week?

June 3, 2023The Oaks Parish Podcast with Bryan Buck & Martha Van Houten

Scripture Text: 1 Samuel 16Bryan BuckQuotes for ReflectionIsaiah 53:2 (NRSV) He had no form or majesty that we should look at him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. Paul David Tripp Even if your struggles are your own making and your problems are caused by your foolishness, God still offers his forgiving and rescuing grace. Tim Chester, 1 Samuel for You Samuel had to appoint a king. In a sense it is a task we all have. We must choose who will be king over our lives. Who or what will have our ultimate allegiance? It might be a person. It might be an ideology. It might be material possessions. It might be ourselves—our comfort or power or pride. There might be a number of things competing for our allegiance. But something will rule our hearts. How will we decide?Heath Thomas & J.D. Grear, Exalting Jesus in 1 & 2 Samuel Most of us have tried to measure up to the world’s criteria, but few people ever feel as if they have succeeded. The stress of trying to have the perfect body, a successful career, a conflict-free family—all these have eluded us. It comes as refreshing, freeing news that God is not particularly concerned with our earthly successes.Application Questions1. Man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart. Why can we call this gospel-centered evaluation? 2. How might your life change by seeing yourself and others as the Lord sees? 3. How does David’s ministry to Saul epitomize gospel-centered evaluation and help us understand the ministry of Jesus in our own life?

Scripture Text: 1 Samuel 15Pat Roach

The Oaks Parish PodcastBryan Buck and Martha Van HoutenNotes:Thomas Merton, New Seeds of Contemplation“Why should I worry about losing a bodily life that I must inevitably lose anyway, as long as I possess a spiritual life and identity that cannot be lost against my desire? Why should I fear to cease to be what I am not when I have already become something of what I am? Why should I go to great labor to possess satisfactions that cannot last an hour, and which bring misery after them, when I already own God in His eternity of joy? It is the easiest thing in the world to possess this life and this joy; all you have to do is believe and love; and yet people waste their whole lives in appalling labor and difficulty and sacrifice to get things that make real life impossible. This is one of the chief contradictions that sin has brought into our souls: we have to do violence to ourselves to keep from laboring uselessly for what is bitter and without joy, and we have to compel ourselves to take what is easy and full of happiness as though it were against our interests, because for us the line of least resistance leads in the way of greatest hardship and sometimes for us to do what is, in itself, most easy, can be the hardest thing in the world.”

Scripture Text: 1 Samuel 14Bryan BuckQuotes for ReflectionThomas Merton, New Seeds of Contemplation Why should I fear anything that cannot rob me of God, and why should I desire anything that cannot give me possession of Him?Tim Keller, Prodigal God A person motivated by love rather than fear will not only obey the letter of the law, but will eagerly seek out new ways to carry out business with transparency and integrity.Heather Thomas & J.D. Grear, Exalting Jesus in 1 & 2 Samuel You can always tell whether a tree is rooted in the ground by seeing if it grows and bears fruit. For instance, a live Christmas tree, after it has been in the house for about a week, starts to deteriorate—the needles fall off and it bears no cones. Likewise, Saul did not bear fruits of victory and true righteousness because he was not planted in the Lord.Tim Chester, 1 Samuel for You In faith, we can attempt brave things for God. But Jonathan is more than an example; he is also a pointer to Jesus, and we must not miss the thrill. We can be brave because Jesus has won the victory by descending to the cross. He has gone through the jaws of death, and death consumed him. But he has risen again to overcome sin and death. In 1 Samuel 14, we are not to place ourselves in Jonathan’s shoes; Jesus is the one who has stood there, cosmically and finally. We are called to follow; to trust the Son, who takes us through death and to life, and to trust him enough to walk behind him.Application Questions1. How did Jonathan experience blessing from trusting faith? How have you seen this true in your own life? 2. How does fear affect our ability to trust God? 3. How does the gospel idea of ransom set us free for faith?

Scripture Text: 1 Samuel 12:1-23Bryan BuckQuotes for ReflectionC.S. Lewis, Collected Letters You surely don’t mean feeling that we are not worthy to be forgiven? For of course we aren’t. Forgiveness by its nature is for the unworthy. You mean feeling that we are not forgiven. I have known that. I ‘believed’ theoretically in the divine forgiveness for years before it really came home to me. It is a wonderful moment when it does. Dane Ortlund, Deeper At conversation we walk out of the courtroom, but throughout our lives of discipleship we suffer from gospel amnesia and keep walking back in. 1 Samuel for You Israel’s new start with a new king has foundered because the underlying unbelief and disobedience of humanity in Adam has not changed. We need a king who will not only rescue us from our enemies, but also from ourselves. We need a king who can take on sin and liberate us from our slavery to our sinful desires. We need a king who obeys God in all circumstances, even when put under the pressure of unfavourable circumstances. Saul is not that man. So his kingdom will not endure.Richard D. Phillips, The Reformed Expository Commentary There is no situation and no problem in which Christians cannot be blessed by God’s mighty help, if only we will turn to the Lord in sincere faith, humble ourselves before him as our Lord and God, and renew our commitment to walk in his Word. This is the all-purpose solution to every problem, and it works because God is so gracious and ready to receive his erring children as to put his blessing upon our heads. Repentance, faith, and new obedience are the way forward for every Christian from wherever we are, good or bad, right at this moment.Application Questions1. Consider a recent failure. What does it tell you about your relationship with God? 2. How does the gospel uniquely enable confession that leads to freedom? 3. Samuel’s description of life-giving faith can be summarized as awareness, reliance, and remembrance. Which of these three elements stands out for you as a means of growing in the gospel this week?

The Oaks Parish PodcastBryan Buck & Martha Van Houten

Scripture Text: 1 Samuel 10Bryan BuckQuotes for ReflectionC.S. Lewis, Three Kinds of Men The price of Christ is something, in a way, much easier than moral effort-it is to want Him. It is true that the wanting itself would be beyond our power but for one fact. The world is so built that, to help us desert our own satisfaction, they desert us. War and trouble and finally old age take from us one by one all those things that the natural Self hoped for at its setting out. Begging is our only wisdom, and want in the end makes it easier for us to be beggars. Even on those terms the Mercy will receive us. Timothy Keller, Counterfeit God’s (2009) One of the signs that an object is functioning as an idol is that fear becomes one of the chief cornerstones of life. When we center our lives on the idol, we become dependent on it. If our counterfeit god is threatened in any way, our response is complete panic. We do not say, “What a shame, how difficult,” but rather “This is the end! There’s no hope!”This may be a reason why so many people now respond to U.S. political trends in such an extreme way. When either party wins an election, a certain percentage of the losing side talks openly about leaving the country. They become agitated and fearful for the future. They have put the kind of hope in their political leaders and policies that once was reserved for God and the work of the gospel. Richard D. Phillips, The Reformed Expository Commentary We do have a choice. Everything that Saul represents is still alive today, enthroned in the worldly seats of power and holding forth enticing calls for our submission and worship. We have a choice between Saul, whose name identifies him as the king that the unbelieving world asked for, and Jesus, whose name identified him as the Savior sent by God to deliver his people from the penalty and power of their sins (Matt. 1:21). Our choice—to embrace the world or trust in Christ—will determine the kingdom in which our salvation will be found: either an earthly reign of unrighteous expedience and fleshly power or an eternal and heavenly kingdom of righteousness and peace.Application Questions 1. How does fear separate us from God? 2. Why does the gospel give us a true sense of confidence? 3. How might God be calling you to step out in trusting faith this week?

Scripture Text: 1 Samuel 9Quincy Robinson

Scripture Text: 1 Samuel 8Bryan BuckQuotes for ReflectionDietrich Bonhoeffer, Ethics Do and dare what is right, not swayed by the whim of the moment. Bravely take hold of the real, not dallying now with what might be. Not in the flight of ideas but only in action is freedom. Make up your mind and come out into the tempest of living. God’s command is enough and your faith in him to sustain you. Then at last freedom will welcome your spirit amid great rejoicing.Tim Keller, Reason for God Jesus is the only Lord who, if you receive him, will fulfill you completely, and, if you fail him, will forgive you eternally. J.D. Greear, Exalting Jesus in 1 & 2 Samuel All earthly kings disappoint. But God is an altogether different King. He showed Israel time and time again that He had been faithful to them, even when they were not. They were unbelieving in the wilderness, but God gave them manna. They served idols, which led to other nations afflicting them; but when they called out to God in repentance, He immediately came to their aid and delivered them. Here is a King who not only supplies the needs of His own but also forgives and has mercy on those who fail Him. Why would anyone desire another king than Him?Application Questions1. What is your typical response to seasons of confusion? How might that be happening right now? 2. Israel wanted a king. What was the difference between how they imagined kingship and the reality of it? 3. Why does God tell Samuel, “listen to their voice”? How have you seen God work in this way in your own life?

Scripture Text: Psalm 133; Hebrews 12:1-2Pat RoachQuotes for ReflectionMary Shelley, Frankenstein I collected the instruments of life around me, that I might infuse a spark of being into the lifeless thing that lay at my feet. It was already one in the morning; the rain pattered dismally against the panes, and my candle was nearly burnt out, when, by the glimmer of the half-extinguished light, I saw the dull yellow eye of the creature open; it breathed hard, and a convulsive motion agitated its limbs. Application Questions1. Where is Jesus present in the world? In Portland and the Metro Area? How do you know?2. Who or what is it that compels you to be a part of Oaks Parish?3. When you look around (Portland, Oaks, the mirror) - do you see a need for freedom or legal strategies of behavior modification?

Scripture Text: 1 Corinthians 5:7-8; Romans 6:9-11; 1 Corinthians 15:20-22Quotes for ReflectionN.T. Wright, The Challenge of Easter The church, the followers of Jesus Christ, live in the bright interval between Easter and the final great consummation. Let's make no mistake either way. The reason the early Christians were so joyful was because they knew themselves to be living not so much in the last days (that that was true too) as in the first days - the opening days of God's new creation. What Jesus did was not a mere example of something else, not a mere manifestation of some larger truth; it was itself the climatic event and fact of cosmic history.Thomas Merton, New Seeds of Contemplation Ultimately the only way that I can be myself is to become identified with Him in Whom is hidden the reason and fulfillment of my existence. Therefore there is only one problem on which all my existence, my peace and my happiness depend: to discover myself in discovering God. If I find Him I will find myself and if I find my true self I will find Him.Tim Keller, Every Good Endeavor Christians should be aware of this revolutionary understanding of the purpose of their work in the world. We are not to choose jobs and conduct our work to fulfill ourselves and accrue power, for being called by God to do something is empowering enough. We are to see work as a way of service to God and our neighbor, and so we should both choose and conduct our work in accordance with that purpose. The question regarding our choice of work is no longer “What will make me the most money and give me the most status?” The question must now be “How, with my existing abilities and opportunities, can I be of greatest service to other people, knowing what I do of God’s will and of human need?Application Questions1. What has Easter meant to you in the past and how might that change after today?2. What is one area in your life where you need to consider yourself dead to sin and what would it look like to be alive in Christ?3. What flag can you plant in the soil of your vocation that signals there’s a different way to be human, a gospel way?

Scripture Text: Matthew 28:1-10Bryan BuckQuotes for ReflectionCornelius À Lapide, The Great Commentary The earth which trembled with horror at the death of Christ, as it were leaped with joy at the resurrection.2Michale J. Wilkins, Matthew The stone that was sealed by the guards to assure that the body of Jesus would remain in the crypt now becomes the seat of triumph for the angel. The stone is rolled away, not to let the risen Jesus out but to let the women in to witness the fact of the empty tomb.N.T. Wright, Matthew for Everyone The point, of course, is that what is happening is the action of God himself. The God who remained apparently silent on Good Friday is having the last word. He is answering the unspoken questions of Jesus’ followers, and the spoken question of Jesus himself on the cross. And what God is doing is not just an extraordinary miracle, a display of supernatural power for its own sake, or a special favour to Jesus. What God is doing is starting something new, beginning the new world promised long ago, sending the disciples to Galilee in the first place but then, as we shall see, on to the ends of the earth and the close of the age with the news of what has happened. A whole new world was opening up in front of them.C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity Give up yourself, and you will find your real self. Lose your life and you will save it. Submit to death, death of your ambitions and favourite wishes every day and death of your whole body in the end: submit with every fiber of your being, and you will find eternal life. Keep back nothing. Nothing that you have not given away will be really yours. Nothing in you that has not died will ever be raised from the dead. Look for yourself, and you will find in the long run only hatred, loneliness, despair, rage, ruin, and decay. But look for Christ and you will find Him, and with Him everything else thrown in.Application Questions1. What are you looking for this Easter morning?2. Why is giving up yourself necessary to finding your real self in Jesus?3. How is God calling you to belong here at Oaks Parish, so that others can believe?

During Holy Week, we invite you to listen to this daily reflection, responding to the Scripture and poetry in personal meditation and prayer.Poetic Reflection: "Christ at Emmaus" © Marilyn Chandler McEntyre, Drawn to the Light (2006)Music © Courtland Urbano // Special thanks to Courtland Urbano, for his contribution of music to these daily reflections.All Scripture is from the New Revised Standard Version © National Council of Churches (1989 )All prayers are from the Book of Common Prayer © Public Domain (2019)

During Holy Week, we invite you to listen to this daily reflection, responding to the Scripture and poetry in personal meditation and prayer.Poetic Reflection: "Buried" © Josh Hill (2023)Music © Courtland Urbano // Special thanks to Courtland Urbano, for his contribution of music to these daily reflections.All Scripture is from the New Revised Standard Version © National Council of Churches (1989 )All prayers are from the Book of Common Prayer © Public Domain (2019)

During Holy Week, we invite you to listen to this daily reflection, responding to the Scripture and poetry in personal meditation and prayer.Poetic Reflection: "Forsaken" © Andrew Shaughnessy (2023)Music © Courtland Urbano // Special thanks to Courtland Urbano, for his contribution of music to these daily reflections.All Scripture is from the New Revised Standard Version © National Council of Churches (1989 )All prayers are from the Book of Common Prayer © Public Domain (2019)

During Holy Week, we invite you to listen to this daily reflection, responding to the Scripture and poetry in personal meditation and prayer.Poetic Reflection: "Dinner Before Death" © Andrew Shaughnessy (2022)Music © Courtland Urbano // Special thanks to Courtland Urbano, for his contribution of music to these daily reflections.All Scripture is from the New Revised Standard Version © National Council of Churches (1989 )All prayers are from the Book of Common Prayer © Public Domain (2019)

During Holy Week, we invite you to listen to this daily reflection, responding to the Scripture and poetry in personal meditation and prayer.Poetic Reflection: "The Pivot of Hope" © Walter Brueggemann, Awed to Heaven, Rooted in Earth (2002)Music © Courtland Urbano // Special thanks to Courtland Urbano, for his contribution of music to these daily reflections.All Scripture is from the New Revised Standard Version © National Council of Churches (1989 )All prayers are from the Book of Common Prayer © Public Domain (2019)

During Holy Week, we invite you to listen to this daily reflection, responding to the Scripture and poetry in personal meditation and prayer.Poetic Reflection: "Jesus Cleansing the Temple" © Andrew Shaughnessy (2024)Music © Courtland Urbano // Special thanks to Courtland Urbano, for his contribution of music to these daily reflections.All Scripture is from the New Revised Standard Version © National Council of Churches (1989 )All prayers are from the Book of Common Prayer © Public Domain (2019)

Scripture Text: Matthew 19:28-40Bryan BuckQuotes for ReflectionJ.I. Packer, Rediscovering HolinessJust as there could be for Jesus no crown without the cross, so there can be for us no holiness without praise. Thomas Merton, Conjectures of a Guilty BystanderHow absolutely central is the truth that we are first of all part of nature, though we are a very special part, that which is conscious of God. In solitude, one is entirely surrounded by beings which perfectly obey God. N.T. Wright, Luke for EveryoneThat was the way the pilgrims came, with Jesus going on ahead, as he had planned all along. This was to be the climax of his story, of his public career, of his vocation. He knew well enough what lay ahead, and had set his face to go and meet it head on. He couldn’t stop announcing the kingdom, but that announcement could only come true if he now embodied in himself the things he’d been talking about. The living God was at work to heal and save, and the forces of evil and death were massed to oppose him, like Pharaoh and the armies of Egypt trying to prevent the Israelites from leaving. But this was to be the moment of God’s new Exodus, God’s great Passover, and nothing could stop Jesus going ahead to celebrate it.Application Questions1. How does the Passover shed light on the meaning of Jesus’s entry into Jerusalem? 2. What role does praise of Jesus play in understanding his holiness? 3. Jesus did not meet some people’s expectations. How might you be asking Jesus to follow you?

During Holy Week, we invite you to listen to this daily reflection, responding to the Scripture and poetry in personal meditation and prayer.Poetic Reflection: "The Anointing at Bethany" © Malcolm Guite (2012)Music © Courtland Urbano // Special thanks to Courtland Urbano, for his contribution of music to these daily reflections.All Scripture is from the New Revised Standard Version © National Council of Churches (1989 )All prayers are from the Book of Common Prayer © Public Domain (2019)

Scripture Text: Ephesians 3:14-21Bryan BuckQuotes for ReflectionJulian of Norwich, The Complete Julian of NorwichWhen we are fallen because of frailty or blindness, then our gracious Lord inspires us, stirs us and calls us, and then he wills that we see our wretchedness and humbly let it be acknowledged. But He does not wish us to remain thus. Nor does He will that we busy ourselves greatly about accusing ourselves, nor does He will that we be full of misery about ourselves; for He wills that we quickly attend to Him; for He stands all alone and waits for us constantly, sorrowing and mourning until we come, and hastens to take us to himself, for we are His joy and delight and He is our cure and our life.Dane Ortland, DeeperThe wraparound category of your life is not your performance but God’s love. The defining hallmark of your life is not your cleanness but his embrace. The deepest destiny of your life is to descend ever deeper, with quiet yet ever-increasing intensity, into the endless love of God. We grow spiritually by getting a head start on that project, right here in this fallen earthly life. John Owen, Communion with the Triune GodSo much as we see of the love of God, so much shall we delight in him, and no more. Every other discovery of God, without this, will but make the soul fly from him; but if the heart be once much taken up with this the eminency of the Father’s love, it cannot choose but be overpowered, conquered, and endeared unto him…If the love of a father will not make a child delight in him, what will? Application Questions1. What causes you to doubt God’s love? 2. Slowly review Paul’s prayer. How does it inform our understanding of the gospel of grace? 3. How do you need to comprehend God’s love this coming week? Express that to God in prayer.

During week 36of Lent, we invite you to listen to this reflection at the end of your week, as an opportunity to look back on your week using the prayer practice of Examen.Music © Courtland Urbano // Special thanks to Courtland Urbano, for his contribution of music to these daily reflections.All Scripture is from the New Revised Standard Version © National Council of Churches (1989 )All prayers are from the Book of Common Prayer © Public Domain (2019)

During week 6 of Lent, we invite you to listen to the following reflection at any point during the week; it loosely follows the practice of Lectio Divina - listening to the Word of God and responding in prayer.Music © Courtland Urbano // Special thanks to Courtland Urbano, for his contribution of music to these daily reflections.All Scripture is from the New Revised Standard Version © National Council of Churches (1989 )All prayers are from the Book of Common Prayer © Public Domain (2019)

Sermon Text: Hebrews 12:1-17Bryan BuckQuotes for ReflectionC.S. Lewis, The Problem of PainIt is safe to tell the pure in heart that they shall see God, for only the pure in heart want to.John of the Cross, The Ascent to Mount CarmelOne dark night,fired with love’s urgent longings-ah, the sheer grace!-I went out unseen,my house being now all stilled.Dane Ortlund, DeeperOur natural instinct tell us that the way forward in the Christian life is by avoiding pain so that, in distracted, we can get down to the business at hand of growing in Christ. The New Testament tell us again and again, however, that pain is a means, not an obstacle, to deepening in Christian maturity. The anguish, disappointments, and futility that afflict us are themselves vital building blocks to our growth…Pain will foster growth like nothing else can-if we will let it.J.C. Ryle, HolinessAs a general rule, in the long run of life, it will be found true that sanctified people are the happiest people on earth. They have solid comforts that the world can neither give nor take away.Application Questions1. How has God used pain to draw you into deeper relationship with himself?2. To use a phrase of John of the Cross, what “appetite” is hindering holiness in your life? How can looking to Christ bring quiet to your soul?3. Holiness is happiness. How does this reality change your life with Jesus this week?

During week 5 of Lent, we invite you to listen to this reflection at the end of your week, as an opportunity to look back on your week using the prayer practice of Examen.Music © Courtland Urbano // Special thanks to Courtland Urbano, for his contribution of music to these daily reflections.All Scripture is from the New Revised Standard Version © National Council of Churches (1989 )All prayers are from the Book of Common Prayer © Public Domain (2019)

During week 3 of Lent, we invite you to listen to the following reflection at any point during the week; it loosely follows the practice of Lectio Divina - listening to the Word of God and responding in prayer.Music © Courtland Urbano // Special thanks to Courtland Urbano, for his contribution of music to these daily reflections.All Scripture is from the New Revised Standard Version © National Council of Churches (1989 )All prayers are from the Book of Common Prayer © Public Domain (2019)

Scripture Text: Acts 16:25-34Quincy Robinson

During week 3 of Lent, we invite you to listen to this reflection at the end of your week, as an opportunity to look back on your week using the prayer practice of Examen.Music © Courtland Urbano // Special thanks to Courtland Urbano, for his contribution of music to these daily reflections.All Scripture is from the New Revised Standard Version © National Council of Churches (1989 )All prayers are from the Book of Common Prayer © Public Domain (2019)

During week 4 of Lent, we invite you to listen to the following reflection at any point during the week; it loosely follows the practice of Lectio Divina - listening to the Word of God and responding in prayer.Music © Courtland Urbano // Special thanks to Courtland Urbano, for his contribution of music to these daily reflections.All Scripture is from the New Revised Standard Version © National Council of Churches (1989 )All prayers are from the Book of Common Prayer © Public Domain (2019)