Woodside Bible Church Lake Orion

As we examined a Psalm of David, we learned how Praying Scripture is a well that will never run dry as italways leads us to God’s heart. Tonight, in your Life Group, build your own personal model prayer to God.Below you will find an example but be encouraged to personalize your Life Group’s as much as comfortwould allow. Allow the truths you’ve affirmed about God this evening to drive the fervor of your expectantprayer!

Navigating our way through life is not always easy. The right decision isn’t always clear. More thanone option can seem like a good choice. But God cares about the direction of our lives, and heoffers guidance through the power of his Holy Spirit. Who are some people in your life who arefacing difficult decisions, believers and unbelievers alike? How could you reach out to offer a wordof encouragement and to pray for them?

The reward for giving and praying and fasting is found in the giving and praying and fasting. Fasting and prayingand giving allow us to experience more of Him. And He is everything. Our reward is the intimacy forged in prayerfulconversation with the One who stitched us and knows us and sits enthroned within us and over us.In The Cost of Discipleship, Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote: “If there is no element of self-denial in our lives, if we give freerein to the desires of the flesh (taking care of course to keep within the limits of what seems permissible to the world),we shall find it hard to train for the service of Christ. When the flesh is satisfied it is hard to pray with cheerfulness or todevote oneself to a life of service which calls for much self-renunciation.”This week you and I are going to see a need that we can meet — someone we can pray for, someone we can serve,some opportunity to be generous, some opportunity to live out our faith — and we are going to have an opportunity topractice being “in His Majesty’s Secret Service.” Try doing something to meet a need without telling anyone about howyou did it. Now, I’ll never find out if you did it or not, so this is on the honor system. But decide this morning to makeit your goal this week to serve someone without gaining any recognition or praise in return. Then consider the holymoments that are before you in your daily walk with Christ. Would not a season of self-denial help you to focus onwhat God is trying to say?

Your family is probably a bit dysfunctional. So are ours. In fact, if you open the first book of the Bible, Genesis, you see all kinds of dysfunctional families. That’s because one of the primary ways that the curse of sin shows up is in your family relationships—with your parents, your siblings, your spouse, your in-laws, your children, and all the rest of the people you see at a family reunion. The good news is that just like God used the broken families in Genesis to unleash blessings on the whole world, he can do the same in your family. In this seven week series we’re going to see how Jesus can renew, refresh, and restore our broken families.

Your family is probably a bit dysfunctional. So are ours. In fact, if you open the first book of the Bible, Genesis, you see all kinds of dysfunctional families. That’s because one of the primary ways that the curse of sin shows up is in your family relationships—with your parents, your siblings, your spouse, your in-laws, your children, and all the rest of the people you see at a family reunion. The good news is that just like God used the broken families in Genesis to unleash blessings on the whole world, he can do the same in your family. In this seven-week series we’re going to see how Jesus can renew, refresh, and restore our broken families.

our family is probably a bit dysfunctional. So are ours. In fact, if you open the first book of the Bible, Genesis, you see all kinds of dysfunctional families. That’s because one of the primary ways that the curse of sin shows up is in your family relationships—with your parents, your siblings, your spouse, your in-laws, your children, and all the rest of the people you see at a family reunion. The good news is that just like God used the broken families in Genesis to unleash blessings on the whole world, he can do the same in your family. In this seven week series we’re going to see how Jesus can renew, refresh, and restore our broken families.

Join us for our 10 am service for Part 2 of our sermon series, ‘Soul Food: When a Meal with Jesus was More than Food,’ with Student Ministry Director Matt Zellars

We’ve all been there one way or another - that point in life where you need to make a decision. Some decisions have easy answers, while others haunt our thoughts as we weigh our options. How often do we wonder which choice God wants us to make, but the Bible doesn’t spell it out for us? We pray and sit puzzled, asking ourselves, “How can I know what God wants me to do?” As we continue through our message series, James: Live the Truth, we're encouraged in the truth that God's wisdom is available to us, if only we'll ask Him for it. Listen with us to our next message in the series, Wisdom for Life, and discover how mature faith seeks God’s wisdom!

We’ve all been there one way or another - that point in life where you need to make a decision. Some decisions have easy answers, while others haunt our thoughts as we weigh our options. How often do we wonder which choice God wants us to make, but the Bible doesn’t spell it out for us? We pray and sit puzzled, asking ourselves, “How can I know what God wants me to do?” As we continue through our message series, James: Live the Truth, we're encouraged in the truth that God's wisdom is available to us, if only we'll ask Him for it. Listen with us to our next message in the series, Wisdom for Life, and discover how mature faith seeks God’s wisdom!

Just believe. Live your truth. Sound familiar? In a culture preaching the power of whatever feels right to you, it’s time to set aside positive vibes for a Truth you can stand on. The Biblical book of James is a call to counter-cultural living – the kind that rejects the latest “feel good” message for a mature faith. A faith with deep roots produces the fruit of a life lived on purpose. Join us as we spend the next six weeks journeying through our new message series, James: Live the Truth, as we're confronted with the question, "Am I living what I claim to believe?" Listen with us to our first message in the series, Surviving Seasons of Suffering, and discover how only through a mature faith in God can we survive the trials life brings.

As we turn to Luke 10, we discover how abiding with Jesus, is a far greater portion than merely doing good works. Listen with us in our newest message.

No one likes waiting. We are a generation of instant gratification; we can get what we want when we want it, and fast! So how do we think we would last if we were told we needed to wait years for something? Or even, hundreds of years? As we conclude our Christmas series, Eyewitness: Finding Your Christmas Story in Theirs, we turn to the book of Luke where we study the unique story of Simeon & Anna, two key witnesses who respond to the arrival of Jesus. They are special characters in the story both for how they bear witness to who Jesus is and as models for all who would receive the arrival of God’s promised Anointed One. Listen with us to our final message of the series, waiting on Jesus, and learn from Simeon and Anna on how waiting in Faith Enables us to Receive God’s Promise.

Have you ever had a time in your life where things didn’t go as planned? And you found yourself asking God, “What? Why?” As we continue our Christmas series, Eyewitness: Finding Your Christmas Story in Theirs, we're turning to the book of Matthew, where we see this very situation play out in the life of Joseph. The Bible doesn’t say much about him, but in the glimpse we do get, God reveals a powerful truth: trusting His plan and walking in obedience bring about His glory! Listen with us to our newest message, Quiet Joseph, and

Have you ever wondered if you would make it to the end? Whether it was a strenuous hike, an essay to write, or a difficult project at work, the striving, exhaustion, and frustration, just made you want to quit. We all know what it's like to feel we can't go even an inch further. But have you ever felt that way in your faith? Join us for our series, Unstoppable: Bound in His Love. Freed by His Spirit., as we venture through Romans 8 to uncover God’s invitation into an infinitely better perspective. Perhaps you’ve had a season of doubt or difficulty fighting sin and are wondering whether you’ll get to heaven. Maybe you don't understand why you're in this trial and are on the verge of giving up. If that's you, listen with us to our newest message, Destined for Glory!

What's something you're hoping for right now? Maybe it's something trivial, like a victory for your favorite sports team or the season finale of the newest binge-worthy show. Or maybe it's something weighty like hoping for a family member to recover or searching for a new job. We're all wired to hope for - and in - something. The problem is, we often put our hope in the stuff and things of this world that bring nothing more than a shot of short-lived satisfaction. Join us for our new series, Unstoppable: Bound in His Love. Freed by His Spirit., as we venture through Romans 8 to uncover God’s invitation into an infinitely better perspective. Today we'll discover how to have hope in the midst of suffering as we're filled with expectations of what's to come. Listen with us to our newest message, A Cosmic Glory, and take hope that your present sufferings will give way to future glory!

Identity feels like the hot topic of today, when really it’s always been a subject held in high priority. Why? Because it hits each one of us so personally. Connected to why we even exist, it begs the question, "Who am I?" If you've ever wondered why you're here, join us for our new series, Unstoppable: Bound in His Love. Freed by His Spirit., as we venture through one of the most well-know chapters of the Bible: Romans 8. Here, Paul is speaking to the identity of the believers in Rome, reminding them of WHO they are and WHOSE they are. In Christ, they have a new identity - and so do you. Do you need that reminder today? Listen with us in our newest message, The Great Reversal, and experience the incredible truth that believers are no longer slaves but heirs with Christ.

These days, most of us live in a nonstop state of busyness and distraction - and we have endless reasons to justify our lifestyle. But, deep down, could it be that the reason we distract and entertain ourselves every waking moment is to keep from feeling inadequate with the true purpose of our lives? Maybe you feel desperate for something to change. Perhaps you're longing to live the life you were created for, instead of the shallow, overly-stimulated existence of today. Join us for our new series, Unstoppable: Bound in His Love. Freed by His Spirit., as we venture through one of the most well-know chapters of the Bible: Romans 8. In the pages of Scripture, you'll encounter God's power to completely transform your life, and will uncover a more enduring purpose than anything this world has to offer. Listen with us in our first message of the series, No Condemnation!, as we discover that, in Christ, we are freed, sin is condemned, and we walk in the Spirit!

From the beginning, laws have been an important part of society. Throughout time, laws have existed to protect people, yet history also displays the power the law has to effectuate injustice and oppression. The parasite that is sin has corrupted the purpose and power of laws, even since Biblical times. So if we can’t rely on the laws of this world (whether well-intended or not), where can we look for security and hope? We continue our series, New-ish?: Everything's Changed. Have You?, to discuss this very issue that Paul addresses to the Church in Romans 7. Only God’s law is perfect, pure, good, holy and righteous. Laws of this world can only restrain evil. They can’t purge it. Listen with us to our newest message, The Law Can’t Deliver, and discover that where the law fails, Christ prevails!

The Gospel tells us all have fallen short of the glory of God and, because of our sin, deserve death. Yet it doesn't end there. In Jesus, God has given us the gift of eternal life - a brand-new life that starts today! But...can it really be that easy? Maybe today you feel stuck in your old way of life, your old habits, struggles, and vices. If that's you, join us as we continue our series, New-ish?: Everything's Changed. Have You?, by uncovering how we can live "in the new way" gifted to us in Jesus. Listen with us to our newest message, A Fruitful Marriage, as we unpack the truths of Romans 7:1-6.

Whether in conversation, on the news, or plastered across our newsfeeds, "freedom" is a hot topic these days. There are countless opinions on what true freedom is and how it should look today. And, just as people are talking about freedom, they're talking about slavery - a word with deep pain packed into it. But maybe the reason these buzzwords run so deep in our culture is not only because of our nation's history, but because each one of us is engaged in a spiritual battle between slavery and freedom. Join us as we continue our series, New-ish?: Everything's Changed. Have You?, as Paul reminds us that everyone is a slave to sin, but through Jesus Christ’s life, death, and resurrection, Christians are free! Listen with us to our newest message, The Freest Slave, and ask yourself the question, "Whose slave am I?"

We all see the constant conflict in our world, but did you know there’s a spiritual battle happening as well? There is a struggle between who controls our hearts, whether our sinful, fleshly desires or God's Holy Spirit. But here's the good news: If you've placed your faith in Christ, we know who wins this war! Join us as we continue our series, New-ish?: Everything's Changed. Have You?, as Paul seeks to bring us to the scary realization that sin is a power that seeks to master us. But the story doesn't end there. Jesus' death and resurrection have given us victory over sin and death! The question is, does your life reflect this truth? Listen with us to our newest message, A New Master, and determine who you're allowing to rule your life!

According to Scripture, baptism is an important step of obedience after you've accepted Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior. At Woodside, when someone is baptized, we have the opportunity to hear their testimony of faith. Have you ever wondered why? Join us as we continue our series, New-ish?: Everything's Changed. Have You?, to discover why Paul uses the topic of baptism in Romans 6 to remind us how we are to walk in our faith. Through baptism, we're reminded that followers of Jesus have died to sin and been given new life in Him! The question is, are you living in that new life or going back to your old ways of sin? Listen with us to our newest message, The New Life of Grace, as we determine that our walk must match our baptism!

Are you a good person or a bad person? That’s a hard question to answer without some kind of twist in your stomach. Today we begin our new series, New-ish?: Everything's Changed. Have You?, with a big claim: God only saves bad people. Join us as we venture through Romans 5:1-11 to uncover the truth about God's salvation. Over the next seven weeks, we'll decipher whether we're living in the freedom available to us through Jesus Christ, or trapped in the patterns of our old life. Listen with us in our first message of the series, Only Sinners Welcome, and find hope in our new life in Christ!

Over the last five weeks, we’ve examined five different places our culture tells us to look for fulfillment in this world. Like the writer, we hope to leave a lasting mark, enjoy the best this life has to offer, and accumulate the greatest knowledge and possessions we can in our lifetime – and we find ourselves forever hungry for MORE. Today, at the close of our series, Smoke & Mirrors: Deciphering Truth in a World of "truths," we come to our final question: does anything in this world truly matter? Is there any meaning to this life? Listen with us in today’s message, Fallen Purpose: Nihilism, as we turn to the pages of Ecclesiastes and discover that God is life!

If you only had _________ life would be so much better, right? In a culture flooded with newer, better versions of everything we already have, we've all fallen victim to the desire for "just a little more." Today we continue our message series, Smoke & Mirrors: Deciphering Truth in a World of "truths," by looking to the book of Ecclesiastes, where we'll explore what it looks like to have it all, but realize it still isn't enough. Listen with us in today’s message, Fallen Demand: Materialism, to enjoy the generosity of the God who shares His prize with His children!

Goal completed! Yes! So...now what? Whether our ambitions are big or small, we've all felt how quickly the "runner's high" of our successes slip away. It begs the question, why don’t the accomplishments of this world ultimately satisfy us? Today we continue our message series, Smoke & Mirrors: Deciphering Truth in a World of "truths," by looking to the book of Ecclesiastes, where we'll consider what happens when we look for meaning in our success apart from God. Listen with us in today’s message, Fallen Ambition: Individualism, and see how our God gladly shares His victory with His people!

The age-old search for the meaning of life presses on. Humanity learns more, achieves more, and accumulates more and more in a never-ending hunt for purpose. Everywhere we look, we see promises for a better life, deeper satisfaction, and greater purpose – but how do we know which is right? Join us for Smoke & Mirrors: Deciphering Truth in a World of “truths” as we expose the illusions of our culture and hold fast to a better answer: God’s.

We live in a society of information overload! If you don’t know something, you google it. Resources are endless. Yet we find that, more often than not, more knowledge leads to even more questions. And we find ourselves frustrated when we can’t get the answer we want RIGHT NOW. Today we continue our message series, Smoke & Mirrors: Deciphering Truth in a World of "truths", by looking to the book of Ecclesiastes to see that a “perfect” understanding of life will always be out of reach. Where does this leave us? To trust in God! Listen with us in today’s message, Fallen Mind: Intellectualism, as we encounter the wisdom of God and realize only He is all-knowing!

The age-old search for the meaning of life presses on. Humanity learns more, achieves more, and accumulates more and more in a never-ending hunt for purpose. Everywhere we look, we see promises for a better life, deeper satisfaction, and greater purpose – but how do we know which is right? Join us for Smoke & Mirrors: Deciphering Truth in a World of “truths” as we expose the illusions of our culture and hold fast to a better answer: God’s.

Society has come so far, there has to be an easier way to do this! Right? Today we continue our message series - Habits: Ancient Practices for Today's World - by learning to reorient our lives to God's time-tested truth, even when society tells us it's a bit "out of touch" with today's problems. As we conclude this series, let's reject our culture's "new big ideas" for solving life's problems and seek after the truths God earnestly offers us! Listen with us and, together, we’ll re-discover age-old practices that draw us to Him and give us the satisfaction we've been searching for!

"3 easy steps to..." Sound familiar? Culture is flooded with "quick fixes" to any and all of our problems. But, the truth is, behind that blog post, program, or subscription lies an empty promise and another letdown. Today we continue our message series - Habits: Ancient Practices for Today's World - by learning to reject culture's "new big ideas" and reorient our hearts to God's time-tested truth! Listen with us and, together, we’ll re-discover age-old practices that draw us to Him, where God alone brings us true satisfaction!

Culture is flooded with the newest “quick fix” to all our problems, and we’ve started to believe happiness is just a click away. But, the truth is, behind that product or program lies an empty promise and another disappointment - every time. Today we begin a brand new message series, Habits: Ancient Practices for Today's World, where we'll take the focus of our hearts and minds off our culture's "new big ideas" and refocus on God's time-tested truths! Listen with us and, together, we’ll re-discover age-old practices that draw us to Him, where true satisfaction awaits!

Don't you love a good rags-to-riches story? Certainly no one likes to see the opposite: beauty descending into ruin. Today we continue our message series - Good Mourning: Taking Your Sorrow to the Savior - by examining what happens to people when they deny God. As we begin chapter 4 of Lamentations, the writer gives us a glimpse of the streets of Jerusalem, where an idolatrous people face the consequences of their rejection of God. Listen with us to our newest message, On the Streets of Ruin, and encounter the reality that without God, people perish.

Have you ever wondered if God is still control when walking through a season of grief, pain, or suffering? Today we continue our message series - Good Mourning: Taking Your Sorrow to the Savior - by turning to chapter 5 of Lamentations, where we’re invited to turn our gaze from the rubble of our brokenness to the Redeemer of every hurt. The poet's words invite us to look toward God's promises even while we're still in pain. Listen with us to our newest message, What to Do When We’re at the End, and see how lament brings us back to God.

We live in a world full of hurting people who hurt people. Today we continue our message series - Good Mourning: Taking Your Sorrow to the Savior - by learning to cry out to God in the face of injustice. As we turn to Lamentations chapter 3, we'll talk about remembering the heart of God and learn to have hope as we wait on His justice! Listen with us to our newest message, How to Lament Injustice, and recognize lament as a means to grieve with those who grieve.

Do you know what it feels like to lose hope? To believe you'll never make it out of the darkness, the brokenness, the pain? In life, we all experience these "end of your rope" moments. The question is, where do we go from there? Today we continue our newest message series - Good Mourning: Taking Our Sorrows to the Savior - an exploration of an often-forgotten book in the Old Testament: Lamentations. As we turn to chapter 3, we find ourselves at the heart of this book, where we turn from suffering under the weight of our affliction to remembering God. Listen with us to our newest message, The Turning Point, and discover how lament allows us to hope again.