Wildwood College Life

This week we continued our series on The Rise and Fall of David! Kevin taught us through 2 Samuel 9 where we saw...David's Desire to Honor the CovenantDavid's Meeting of the UnworthyDavid's Table as a Gift of GraceThrough this, we learned that because of God's grace and mercy to us, we respond gracefully and mercifully to others!

This week we continued our series on the Rise and Fall of David! Kevin walked us through 2 Samuel 7 where we learned that...God's promises are fulfilled and will be fulfilled in Christ!The Lord makes his temple in people, not buildings!We see that God makes a covenant with David that is built on the covenant he had previously made with Abraham and Moses. This covenant is different though, because it introduces us to God's grace!Follow along as we continue our series through 1st and 2nd Samuel!

This week we continue our series on the Rise and Fall of David! Mike Beckham walked us through 1 Samuel 26:1-25 where we learned...David's life points us towards Jesus and the promises he secured for us.Like David, we are called to walk by faith in trusting these promises and not worldly logic.Follow along as we continue our series on the Rise and Fall of David!!!

This week we continued our series on The Rise and Fall of David! We looked at 1 Samuel 16:1-13 and saw...God's point of view of us and our situations. (vv.1-5)God's point of view sees the heart. (vv.6-13)Samuel anoints David, a king according to God's heart because God sees who David really is. David's example points to Christ as the anointed one!

This week we continued our series on The Rise and Fall of David! We learned in 1 Samuel 15 that God's grace has freed us from sin, but not from obedience.We saw that...Saul's command from the LordSaul's disobedience to the Lord's authoritative commandSaul's disqualifies himself as kingIn Saul, Israel got the king that they wanted but in David, they will get the king that they need!

This week Kevin Bradford, Wildwood's Missions Pastor, taught us about Israel's want for a king. Israel insisted on their own way but God knew better and orchestrated Saul as their king. Through 1 Samuel 8-10, we saw God's sovereignty and that ultimately Jesus is our perfect king!!!

As the school year begins, Kevin teaches on the importance of committing to a body of believers!In Romans 12, we are encouraged and commanded to use our God-given gifts to build up the Church and believe that God desires for you to use these gifts not to be served, but to serve!

At our Fall Kickoff, Kevin dives into the cost of discipleship!In Luke 14, we see that because the price of our salvation was so costly, we should count the cost as we follow Jesus! There is a cost, but it is worth it!!!

This week we concluded our series on the main characters of Genesis! We learned about the life of Joseph by looking at Genesis 37:1-45:28!Cole Snowdon, Wildwood's College Ministry Intern, walked us through Joseph's life as we saw the truth of Genesis 50:20 " As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good..."!

This week we continued our series on the main characters of Genesis! Cole Berryhill taught us about the life of Jacob through Genesis 25:19- 35:43! We saw that...-God's sovereignty overcomes our undeservedness!-God's sovereignty frees us from our nature!-God's sovereignty secures our Salvation!This message is timely for the unbeliever and believer alike! We learned that the unbeliever can respond in faith and the believer can be obedient because of a secured salvation. Come back next week for the last week of our series on the main characters of Genesis! We will be looking at Joseph's life!!!

This week we continue our series on the main characters of Genesis! Cole Snowdon, Wildwood's College Ministry Intern, teaches us about the life of Isaac. Through this, we see that Jesus is the True and Better Isaac in how...God Provided a Promised SonGod Provided a Necessary SacrificeGod Provided RansomGod is our provider and we should trust Him in all things. Follow along as we continue our series through the book of Genesis!

This week we continue our series on the main characters in Genesis! Kevin Bradford, Wildwood's Global Outreach Director, walked us through the life of Abraham and the Abrahamic Covenant in Genesis 11:27-25:11!

This week we continued our series on the main characters in Genesis and looked at Noah's life in Genesis 6-9!We saw that the life and events of Noah display a type of God's rescue from sin and judgment in Jesus Christ. We learned that we should trust in Christ alone as our Rescuer from sin and judgment.

Jon Dunton, Wildwood's Associate Pastor of Adult Ministry, continues our series on Genesis by walking us through Creation, the lives of Adam and Eve, the Fall, and the Good News of the Gospel. The story of Adam and Eve may be familiar to us, but as descendants, we can learn so much about ourselves by looking at the lives of Adam and Eve before sin entered the world and after. Living in a fallen world comes along with many penalties, hardships, and temptations but we have hope in the redemption that is promised to us through the saving work of Jesus!

We are kicking off the Summer with this series that looks at the characters of Genesis 1! This week Mike Strauss teaches us about the character of God that is revealed in Genesis 1. Follow along as we learn more about the characters of Genesis!!!

This week we continue our series on the deep truths of salvation! Kevin teaches us that as adopted children of God we receive these 3 things from our new family in Christ:Privileges (Galatians 4:6)Fellowship (Romans 8:29)Inheritance (Romans 8:15-17)When we are forgiven by Christ, we are adopted into the family of God and God blesses us with privileges, fellowship, and an inheritance!!!

This week Mike Beckham spoke at College Life and continued our series on Saving Grace!Mike teaches us this week about The Great Exchange:We Give God-Our mistakes and sin-Our self-made identity-Our inability to be Godly& God Gives Us-Forgiveness and Absolution-His identity-His perfect performanceWe learn how we can often resist this trade and try to object to this trade, but the truth is that Jesus' Righteousness and Sinlessness are what assure us of our salvation.

This week we continue our series on Saving Grace!Myles Chandler, the Student Ministry Assistant at Wildwood, talks to us about how we can confidently have eternal security.One verse we look at is 1 John 5:13 which tells us that we may know we have eternal life if we believe in the name of the Son of God.

This week we continue our series on the deep truths of salvation! Kevin teaches on the 3 Phases of Salvation: justification, sanctification, and glorification. God has saved us (Justification)God is saving us (Sanctification)God will save us (Glorification)We look at several New Testament passages to see more clearly the 3 phases of salvation!

This week as we continued our series on REALationships we saw that true friendship is being fully known and fully loved!Kevin taught through 1 Samuel, 2 Samuel, & John 15 where we saw:Jonathan's friendship toward DavidDavid's friendship toward JonathanChrist's friendship toward us

This week we continue our series on REALationships! Mike Beckham teaches through the creation story in Genesis 1, showing the importance of our relationship with work. We saw that our relationship with work affects our view of God and how we connect with Him in these 5 principles:We were created to workWork is hardBelievers have many different jobs but one missionRun your raceHe will progressively lead you

This week we started a new series on REALationships where we will be looking at our relationships with friends, our relationships to work, and our relationships to romance!This week Kevin taught through 1 Corinthians 7 and Revelation 19!We learned that...singleness is a gift,singleness is strategic,& singleness is temporary!Follow along with us as we continue our series on REALationships!

This week Chris and Chanae taught on Habakkuk 3 where we saw that the God who exists is better than the "god" we can imagine and why we can have faith in this God!

We had our College Life Kickoff this week and started a new series studying Habakkuk!Kevin walked us through Habakkuk 1:1-11 and spoke on how we can have hope in God's character and His promises because God cannot break His Word!Follow along with us as we make our way through Habakkuk.

This week, Abe Mahner, Wildwood's Student Pastor teaches us about the false god of control. Abe teaches us how to shatter this idol of control and trust that God being in control is better. Join us as we finish up our series on False Gods Today and talk through Exodus 32:1-8!

This week Kevin talks about comfort as a false god today in 3 main points:The ease of seeking worldly comfortThe example of Christ in discomfortThe edifying blessing of seeking God's comfortFollow along as we learn about the false god of comfort through 2 Corinthians 1:3-4!

This week we continue our series over False Gods Today as we look at the deep-rooted idol of power. Kevin talks about how we become idolaters, how worshipping power reveals itself, and how we are to submit to God's power instead.

This week our guest speaker, Mike Beckham, teaches us that the problem with idols is that they cannot hold the weight of our expectations and turn us away from worshipping God.... BUT God's solution to this problem is offering us the ability to find our identity, our approval, and our satisfaction in Jesus.

As we wrap up our series on the Sermon on the Mount Kevin teaches us that since judgment is coming we should...Choose the Narrow GateBe the Good TreeBuild on the Firm FoundationListen along as we close out the Sermon on the Mount series in Matthew 7:13-29.

This week Kevin teaches us through Matthew 7:1-12 that in order to show mercy to others we must first remember God's mercy toward our own sin. We see that a disciple's relationships are selfless in the way we relate to our brothers and in the way we relate to our Father.

This week Kevin teaches us that our gaze and focus have a tremendous impact on what we truly treasure and where our hope is truly found. In Matthew 6:19-34 we will see how our focus reveals our true treasure and hope by looking at...our everlasting treasureour unshakable peaceour ultimate hope and treasure

In Matthew 6-18, we continue our series on The Sermon on the Mount and see that following God is not performative through these main points. Because God is our provider, we give to the needy to point to Him and trust in His provision.Because God is relational, we pray because it is the way to relate to God.Because God is our sustainer, we fast to depend on Him and cultivate our hunger for Him.

This week Kevin teaches us that the goal of the Christian life and the goal of the law was never intended for us to get as close to sinning as possible, but the intent of the law was and is to point people to righteousness. Matthew 5:31-48 shows us the intent of the law through 4 relevant issues of today.1. The intent of marriage is to be a permanent bond2. The intent of our words should reflect the truth,3. The intent of responding to wrongs is by responding with love4. The intent of love is impartial to enemies and neighbors

This week Mike Beckham teaches us the importance of being the salt and the light in our broken world.

What would you say if someone asked you, "Are you a good person?". Kevin teaches us this week that sin's root is our internal character, not our external conduct. We see in Matthew 5:13-20 that the root of murder of contempt, the root of adultery is lust, and the root of a Holy Life is Jesus. Since our hearts reveal our wickedness, we must rely on the Holy Spirit to give us a new heart so that we might actually live a holy life.

In the first week of our new series, "Sermon on the Mount", Cole teaches us that the beatitudes are the foundation for the Sermon on the Mount. We learn through Matthew 5:3-12 that humility is a requirement for the followers of Christ(vs. 3-6), that it isn't about what we do but who we are(vs. 7-9), and that followers of Christ can and should rejoice in suffering(vs. 10-12).

As the school year begins, Kevin teaches on the importance of committing to a body of believers. In Romans 12, we are encouraged and commanded to use our God-given gifts to build up the Church and believe that God desires for you to use these gifts not to be served, but to serve!

As we study the last of Jesus' "I AM" statements in the Gospel of John, we see that Jesus is the source of abundant life. In John 15, we learn that the source of spiritual fruit is Jesus and that spiritual fruit is abundant in Jesus.

This week we continue learning about the divinity of Christ in the sixth "I AM" statement in the Gospel of John. Through the encouraging words of John 14, we learn that Jesus is the WAY to heaven, Jesus is the TRUE essence of God, and Jesus promises LIFE-changing ministry.

As we study the fifth "I AM" statement in the Gospel of John, we see Jesus' authority over death, we see Jesus weep over the result of sin which is death, and we see Jesus resurrect demonstrating His power over death. Follow along as we learn more about the divinity of Christ through John 11.

This week at College Life, Cole Snowdon, one of the College Life residents spoke about the Good Shepherd in the fourth of Jesus' seven "I AM" statements. Cole talks through John 10:11-18 where we see that the Good Shepherd protects His sheep with His own life (vs. 11-13), the Good Shepherd knows whom He is protecting (vs. 14-16), and the Good Shepherd's ultimate protection comes through His death and resurrection (vs. 17-18).

As a door, Jesus provides protection and freedom. The sheep know their shepherd and sheep flourish through the door. The previous three weeks, we have walked through the divinity of Christ by looking at the I am statements, starting with the Old Testament when God reveals his name to Moses as "I am." (Ex. 3)

One of the ways Jesus claims to be God throughout His ministry is through the 7 "I AM" statements, directly referring to God's name revealed to Moses in Exodus 3. The first one appears in John 6, as Jesus claims to satisfy as the Bread of Life. Kevin Choate teaches us that God's bread is given to the hungry (6:25-33), God's bread always satisfies (6:34-40), and God's bread lasts forever (6:41-50).

As we study Jesus' 2nd "I AM" statement in the Gospel of John, we see that Jesus is the Light of the World. Jesus calls us the light of the world, with His Spirit within us.

God reveals Himself and makes His character known to His people. He reveals Himself for His people's deliverance, ultimately and perfectly through Jesus. Scripture: Exodus 3:1-15, Psalm 145, John 8:54-58 View the transcript here.

Kevin Choate teaches through James 3:1-18, alongside 1 Timothy 1:6-8, Psalm 120:1-3, and Matthew 15:10-20 to show us the danger of the tongue, the incoherency of the tongue, and the duality of wisdom. You can read the transcript here.

Mike Beckham, one of Wildwood's elders, teaches on James 2:14-26, alongside James 1:22-25, Ephesians 2:1-10, Titus 1:16, and John 15. We see that our good works could never save us, but that good works naturally flow out of true faith in Jesus. Abiding in Him leads us to live in His ways.You can find the transcript here.

Our trials don't have to hinder our walk with God, in fact, they can tell us more about what it means to walk in God's designed holiness. Kevin kicks off a new series in James, looking at how the various trails we face can give us a deeper insight into God's purpose, perspective and patience for our lives on earth. Reflection Questions:What are some of the barriers in believing that God has a purpose for our trials? What are some helpful reminders when struggling with this idea?Read 1 Peter 5:6-10:What role does humility play in salvation from God?What are some things we cast our anxiety before God? What does this say about what we are actively believing in those moments?Does knowing there is an actual enemy create a sense of importance in how we face trials?Read Psalm 42. Go section by section and identify how the Psalmist rests his hope in God and not his situation.Do you find that your mood/hope is affected more by your circumstances/situation than on the truth of who God is and his promises?Who is someone you can you encourage this week with this hopeful message?

In the last part of the series on God's redemptive plan for the nations, Kevin talks about the Christians' future to come. He breaks down the Biblical timeline of end time events emphasizing how we are to live in light if the Millennial Kingdom to come. Reflection Questions:Does it give you hope knowing that when Christ comes back, He will also judge? That means every wrong will also be punished, but also eventually undone. What is your reaction to this reality?Read Psalm 110:1-2. What does Jesus's future rule sound like?Have you considered that your good works will be judged? How are you stewarding the life God has given you?Over the past few weeks, we have been looking at the story of Scripture. So far, diagnose if you understand your Bible and its History.Read Matthew 24:36, many want to KNOW when the End Times begin and worry themselves endlessly. What is a better response to knowing how History will play out in the end?The world will not continue forever, but will have an appointed end. Does that give you an urgency in life?

Kevin finishes off the series on the redemptive history of God with the age of grace. To understand the age of grace better, he compares it to the age of the Law, concluding that through the death and resurrection of Jesus three major things have changed: our basis of righteousness, our relationship with God and our family tree. Reflection Questions:Do you ever find yourself living in an age of Law mindset rather than an age of Grace mindset? How so?Read 2 Corinthians 3:6-18. Compare and contrast the Old and New Covenants. Jesus's sacrifice is special in many ways. One way is that is has the power to take away sin (Hebrews 9:26). Does knowing this provide any type of freedom to you? What does trusting in this sacrifice look like? Read Romans 10:9-10What is encouraging about the fact that righteousness is not based on our works/adherence to the law but is imputed to us through faith in Christ? Read the seven woes to the Pharisees in Matthew 23. How would you explain this passage to someone who has never read the Bible? Do you relate to the Pharisees at all in this passage? How can we not be like the Pharisees here?