Abide
The aim of discipleship at Oaks Parish is to make disciples who abide with Christ. Abiding involves hearing and responding to the voice of Jesus, bearing the fruit of the Holy Spirit, and enjoying a quiet heart. A life of abiding with Christ leads to flourishing, both for our soul and our city. Check out these tried and true resources to help you on the journey.
Daily Office: Prayer & Scripture
Looking for a go-to resource for daily time with God? Check-out the Daily Office prayer app. The Office includes daily bible readings and historic prayers that are used by thousands of people across the world. Content changes four times a day (morning, noon, evening, and bedtime) and includes a family version that is shorter in length making it accessible for use with kids. The content in the Daily Office can be tailored for desire use. Some people enjoy the whole prayer liturgy while others read just the daily Bible passages. It can be used for a morning devotional or prayer rhythm throughout the day. To begin using the Daily Office, download the app below.
https://www.dailyoffice2019.com
Prayer of Examen
The Prayer of Examen has been a meaningful practice of contemplation for Christians throughout the centuries. It cultivates solitude, quiet, and stillness in order to experience the love of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. You’ll find that as you commune with the Lord, discernment naturally follows. Bill Clem, Director of the Center for Pastoral Flourishing at Western Seminary, says that, “Discernment is not trying to find a strategy, it’s discovering an intention. It’s asking, ‘God what do you want me to do regardless of outcome?’” Practically, the Examen will help you sort out what is drawing you toward God and what is pulling you away from him. Find a quiet space and 15 minutes, and you’re set. Examen can be done in a variety of ways, but here’s one way that is both simple and impactful. Take three minutes for each section.
Marinate in silence until you’re aware of God’s presence. Invite the God of the bible to meet with you.
Review a timeframe, whether that’s the day before or even several months. Examine what experiences drew you toward God (consolation) and what pulled you away from God (desolation).
Become aware of your emotions during this time period. Examples included, but are not limited to, hurt, loneliness, sadness, anger, fear, shame, guilt, gladness.
Zoom-in on one experience that came to mind. If this experience pulled you away from God resulting in desolation, how can it be restored? If the experience drew you toward God (consolation), how can it be cultivated even more?
Look to the future. What do you need to do next to cultivate consolation?
Resources for Families & Kids
We want to be a church that helps our children follow Jesus into flourishing! To this end, we’ve put together a number of resources designed to support discipleship at home including bible stories read by our Children’s Director, resources for Christian holidays, and ongoing materials related to our current sermon series. Check out all this and more on our family resource page.
Worship Guides
For worship at Oaks Parish we use worship guides that are available in hard-copy or digital versions. While the worship guide can be used to follow along and participate throughout the service, it can also be used the following week for further reflection. You might want to revisit the Scripture passage from the sermon or sing a worship song you heard in service. Visit the current sermon series page to find the weekly worship guide.