Oklahoma City First Church Sermons & Devotionals: Recent Episodes
First Church OKC
Oklahoma City First Church is a United Methodist church committed to Jesus Christ and making disciples in His name. You can find our weekly sermons (and seasonal devotionals) here!
When we sing in worship more is happening than what we often imagine. We are proclaiming our faith through the lyrics, moved by God through the melodies, and touched by the Holy Spirit through our participation.
Complications occur when a death is out of order. We will examine why death out of order is so difficult, how we can comfort our loved ones who have experienced an unexpected loss, and the source of hope we can offer.
Jesus knew what it was to grieve. When His dear friend Lazarus died Jesus entered into the grief of the community when He cried with them. Jesus knew grief and He is there with us in our grief.
"Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."
If Jesus, the victim of our sins, can forgive us for his death, how much more so should we forgive our enemies, instigators, and victims alike.
Think of a situation in which you are avoiding peace because it would take too much effort, cause too much conflict, or create too much trouble for you. What is God calling you to do in that situation?
Peace means not only freedom from all trouble, but enjoyment of all good. Peace is not just the silencing of the violence of warfare and strife, but a state of well-being and fullness. And this gets to the heart of some of our problems today
Jesus blessed purity of heart as Jesus knew from out of the heart flow our words and our actions. It's not just enough to refrain from outward sins. We must be pure from the inside out if we are to see God.
We mock the gospel when we reduce the demands of the gospel to simply believing that Christ died for our sins, giving intellectual assent to that truth and accepting by faith the eternal securities it offers us. But the true demand of the gospel is a changed heart, a pure heart, an unadulterated heart, a heart washed clean, a heart free from chaff, a heart purged of discontent.
The heart is what you are, in the secrecy of your thought and feeling, when nobody knows but God.
When Jesus speaks of a pure heart, he speaks of a heart that has been purged and cleansed so that it is unadulterated and unspoiled. That’s the high calling of this beatitude and it puts us at odds with our culture from the outset.
Mercy is extended to the downcast and outcast, but certainly not to the wealthy or powerful, no matter how blameless their actions have been. The way mercy is lived out today has little resemblance to the mercy Jesus spoke of so often.
Mercy is at the very heart of our relationship with our Lord and mercy must be at the very heart of our relationship with others
Have you experienced a time when you have seen others receive more mercy than you received?
The thought that God only blesses the righteous was the viewpoint of the Pharisees and the religious elite of Jesus’ day. But Jesus blessed those who are hungry and thirsty for righteousness. Why? I think it’s because when we focus on our motivations rather than the end results, we get to the heart of the matter. For example, if we focus only on attaining righteousness we will focus only on our outward actions. Our sinful actions will get our attention. But if we focus on our hungers and thirsts, we will begin to examine the affections of our hearts. And that is where true righteousness is birthed.
What sin do you love more than you love righteousness or even the Lord Himself? Remember that we are to love God with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength. Nothing should take the place of God as the center in our lives.
Is there a hunger for which you are seeking to satisfy that still keeps you unsatisfied when you fully attain it?
As you continue or begin a fast we need to ask ourselves, what is the purpose of this fast? What do I need God to do in my life through this fast?
How might you begin to start hungering and thirsting for God as much as you hunger and thirst for other things?
As you begin this season of Lent, what area of your life is God calling you to sacrifice?
Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. How should we understand meekness?
The beatitudes are not commands but they are statements of the world turned upside down!
How are we to be poor in spirit? How we can experience spiritual poverty? How can we move from pride to repentance?
As we begin to study the Beatitudes, we must first begin to understand the Kingdom of God.
We use the word "love" to mean so many different things. Love has become such a diluted word in our society because it takes on a new meaning depending on the context in which it's used. So what is love?
By Jackson Witt, Youth and Young Ministries Director
There are not easy answers when a mom or dad dies, even when the death is expected. There are no easy answers when there is a tragic death. There are no easy answers when a death is out of order, when children die before parents. There are no easy answers when any death occurs. In this message we will examine the easy answers often given at funerals and in the face of death. We will also look at Jesus' words in the face of death, how we are called to put our hope and trust in Him, and how faith in Christ is the only answer that matters in the face of death.
So, if not easy answers, what answers can we offer when there is estrangement and brokenness in a family? In this message, we will examine some instructions from the Apostle Paul to the early church and how those instructions can be tremendously helpful when we experience divisions in our families. We will explore the roles of speaking the truth in love, building one another up, and the power of forgiveness.
The Church is just like everywhere else: it consists of broken, wounded and hurt people. And often times, those people break, wound and hurt other people. So what do we do when the Church disappoints? Do we quit all together? Do we find a new church body? Do we just accept it for what it is? In this message we will look at what we do "When The Church Disappoints."
This Sunday at OKC First Church we are going to be taking a closer look at our struggles with unanswered prayers. We will look at some common responses to unanswered prayers, examine God's response to Job's unanswered prayers, and explore what it means to trust, even in the midst of suffering and prayers going unanswered.
The Biblical account is full of people whose success had soured, and they, like us, could find no easy answers. The Biblical character Jacob was a schemer, a manipulator, and a deceiver, but this great charlatan was himself swindled and his life turned sour. So how did he respond? Did he get angry, did he sulk in despair, did he lash out with outbursts of rage? We will examine Jacob's response to his soured life this Sunday at First Church.
Things have changed. It's no secret that our world has changed significantly in the past 10 months. But what does that mean for the Church in America and around the world? What does that mean for OKC First Church? Where do we go from here? What does it mean for us to think about a fresh start? What would it look like for us to act boldly and courageously to transform our church and our community? These are questions that we will be pondering as a church and church body this morning!
The Wise Men - Who were these guys and why are they so important? Jackson Witt, our very own Youth and Young Adult Director, concludes this sermon series.
The Advent Season is upon us! Join us as we uncover some of the less known characters of the Christmas story in anticipation of the birth of a Savior! This week we will examine the character of Joseph.
The nativity story is one that is well known. We have heard it so often we often gloss over the details of the story. Mary, angels, Bethlehem, Shepherds, baby Jesus. We know all the characters. But behind these leading characters is a cast of hidden characters. Hidden because they seem insignificant to the story. In reality, though, their stories are just as important as the lead characters. Elizabeth, John the Baptist, Joseph, Herod, the Maggi. The lessons we can learn from these characters is every bit as important as those we can learn from the leading characters.
Join us for our last week of the series "Better Together." This week Pastor Lesly addresses the topic of serving tied to Hebrews 6:10. Now that we've talked about connecting to the body and growing in our faith, how can you serve?
Our journey through faith does not end when we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior. That is only the beginning of it all. As a church, we are called to grow in our faith by using the gifts God gave us to build each other up! Join us this week as Pastor Lesly teaches from Ephesians 4 on growth as a Christian and growth as a church body!
The Lord is coming! Hallelujah! Will you be like the wise young women who were prepared for the bridegroom? Or the foolish young women who missed it altogether?
At First Church we believe in the healing power of Jesus. We believe that it is made clear throughout scripture that through the Holy Spirit bodies that were sick or broken were made well. And we believe that same Spirit is the one that lives inside each one of Jesus' followers!
In a world of so much division, it can be easy to arrive at this question: "Where Is God?" The answer is consistent with where God always is - seeking the lost. This week as we dive into yet another familiar story on the felt board, Pastor Lesly will dissect the parable of the lost sheep.
Mark 6:30-44
30 The apostles gathered around Jesus and reported to him all they had done and taught. 31 Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.”
32 So they went away by themselves in a boat to a solitary place. 33 But many who saw them leaving recognized them and ran on foot from all the towns and got there ahead of them. 34 When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things.
35 By this time it was late in the day, so his disciples came to him. “This is a remote place,” they said, “and it’s already very late. 36 Send the people away so that they can go to the surrounding countryside and villages and buy themselves something to eat.”
37 But he answered, “You give them something to eat.”
They said to him, “That would take more than half a year’s wages! Are we to go and spend that much on bread and give it to them to eat?”
38 “How many loaves do you have?” he asked. “Go and see.”
When they found out, they said, “Five—and two fish.”
39 Then Jesus directed them to have all the people sit down in groups on the green grass. 40 So they sat down in groups of hundreds and fifties. 41 Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to his disciples to distribute to the people. He also divided the two fish among them all. 42 They all ate and were satisfied, 43 and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces of bread and fish. 44 The number of the men who had eaten was five thousand.
This is a story that has been told and retold countless times in churches. Some in the modern Church have discounted this story as a story about the miracle of sharing. Motivated by the generosity of the young boy, the people in the crowd began to share the food they had all brought for themselves, but were selfishly keeping to themselves, they say. But the biblical narrative makes it clear this wasn't a miracle of sharing, this was a miracle of God. This miraculous event is later referred to by Jesus Himself as evidence that the disciples should believe and trust in Him.
But even for those who believe this miracle actually occurred 2,000 years ago we wonder if those types of miracles still occur. We sometimes wonder because we seldom, if ever, see modern day miracles. Maybe it was just for back in those days, we think. Maybe we are doing something wrong, we think. Maybe God doesn't care enough to act on my behalf, we think. We will be examining this miraculous event in the life of Jesus and the reality of miracles today.
Matthew 14:22-33
22 Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. 23 After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. Later that night, he was there alone, 24 and the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it.
25 Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. 26 When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear.
27 But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”
28 “Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.”
29 “Come,” he said.
Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. 30 But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!”
31 Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?”
32 And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down. 33 Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”
There was a very popular book almost 20 years ago with a wonderful title, "If You Want to Walk on Water, You've Got to Get Out of the Boat." Honestly, I don't remember much of the content of the book, even though I led a couple of studies on the book, but the title has stuck with me because this is one of the aspects of this biblical story that is often overlooked. It took incredible faith for Peter to step out of that boat. He was a fisherman who had spent his entire life on the water. I am certain he saw people be tossed overboard during storms that often arose on the Sea of Galilee. He certainly heard of stories of drowning on that large lake. He knew the dangers of open water, especially during a storm. But knowing all those dangers of the perilous sea Peter still stepped out of the boat. The impact of that kind of faith can't be overstated enough. It takes that kind of faith to do incredible things for the Kingdom of God.
Luke 5:17-26
17 One day Jesus was teaching, and Pharisees and teachers of the law were sitting there. They had come from every village of Galilee and from Judea and Jerusalem. And the power of the Lord was with Jesus to heal the sick. 18 Some men came carrying a paralyzed man on a mat and tried to take him into the house to lay him before Jesus. 19 When they could not find a way to do this because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and lowered him on his mat through the tiles into the middle of the crowd, right in front of Jesus.
20 When Jesus saw their faith, he said, “Friend, your sins are forgiven.”
21 The Pharisees and the teachers of the law began thinking to themselves, “Who is this fellow who speaks blasphemy? Who can forgive sins but God alone?”
22 Jesus knew what they were thinking and asked, “Why are you thinking these things in your hearts? 23 Which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’? 24 But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.” So he said to the paralyzed man, “I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.” 25 Immediately he stood up in front of them, took what he had been lying on and went home praising God. 26 Everyone was amazed and gave praise to God. They were filled with awe and said, “We have seen remarkable things today.”
A recent survey conducted by Ligonier Ministries found that 52% of Americans agree that Jesus was not divine, but only a great teacher. Now this isn't particularly surprising as we recognize we are now living in a post-Christian culture. However, what was shocking in the survey was that only 62% of American evangelicals agree that Jesus was divine. This means that more than 1/3 of those who consider themselves evangelical Christians believe that Jesus was NOT divine. The divinity of Jesus is one of the central tenets of Christianity. If Jesus was not divine the entirety of Christian theology falls apart and it becomes like all other religions, based on myths and the moral teachings of a leader from centuries ago.
But the testimony of the New Testament was clear. Jesus was divine. The Scripture narrative above is clear. Jesus had the right and authority to forgive sins. It was clear in the minds of the Pharisees and teachers of the law what it meant for Jesus to forgive sins. In proclaiming the forgiveness of this lame man's sins Jesus was making a claim that He was divine, just like Yahweh.
When I was growing up, we had a wonderful pastor's wife who was very gifted in teaching children. In fact, her expertise was in using a felt board to teach Bible stories to us. She was amazing. I had never experienced these stories like I did when Mary Dieker was teaching them to me. In our digital age of multi-sensory learning the use of felt boards has fallen out of style. But I have found using these tools of a bygone era can be effective in today's culture. They are seen as a novelty by today's children who have never heard of or seen a felt board.
One of the reasons I love the felt boards Mary Dieker used is they are how I learned the great stories of Jesus when I was a young boy. Stories like the calling of the disciples, lowering a lame man through the roof, Peter walking on the water, and Jesus feeding the 5,000 are all stories that still speak to me today. These are often known as children’s stories, but the messages of these narratives are anything but simplistic. These are stories with significant theological meaning. We will explore the stories of Jesus and we will move from a 2-D image of Jesus on the felt board to a 3-D experience of his life.
James 2:14-26
14 What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? 15 Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. 16 If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? 17 In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.
18 But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.”
Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds. 19 You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.
20 You foolish person, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless? 21 Was not our father Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? 22 You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. 23 And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,” and he was called God’s friend. 24 You see that a person is considered righteous by what they do and not by faith alone.
25 In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction? 26 As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.
Christianity in the West is dying from atrophy. Atrophy means wasting away and in the medical field atrophy often results when a person's muscles begin to waste away because of underuse or neglect. When a person experiences a long season of inactivity their muscles begin to experience atrophy, they lose their strength, and eventually the person is unable to carry on basic human functions. The same is occurring in Christianity in the West. Christians have been neglecting our duties and gifts and the power that comes from the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit. We have underused our faith so long that the Church has begun to atrophy, even losing our ability to carry out the basic functions of our faith.
James points out that not living out our faith isn't real faith. As he says poignantly, "faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead." I've known Christians who have sat in the same pew in the same church for decades, never having attended a Bible study or Sunday school, never having engaged in missions, never having their lives changed. Their spiritual lives atrophied right where they sat all those years.
John Testifies Again About Jesus 22 After this, Jesus and his disciples went out into the Judean countryside, where he spent some time with them, and baptized.23 Now John also was baptizing at Aenon near Salim, because there was plenty of water, and people were coming and being baptized. 24 (This was before John was put in prison.) 25 An argument developed between some of John’s disciples and a certain Jew over the matter of ceremonial washing. 26 They came to John and said to him, “Rabbi, that man who was with you on the other side of the Jordan—the one you testified about—look, he is baptizing, and everyone is going to him.”
27 To this John replied, “A person can receive only what is given them from heaven. 28 You yourselves can testify that I said, ‘I am not the Messiah but am sent ahead of him.’ 29 The bride belongs to the bridegroom. The friend who attends the bridegroom waits and listens for him, and is full of joy when he hears the bridegroom’s voice. That joy is mine, and it is now complete. 30 He must become greater; I must become less.”
31 The one who comes from above is above all; the one who is from the earth belongs to the earth, and speaks as one from the earth.The one who comes from heaven is above all. 32 He testifies to what he has seen and heard, but no one accepts his testimony.33 Whoever has accepted it has certified that God is truthful.
John 4:39-42 Many Samaritans Believe 39Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman’s testimony, “He told me everything I ever did.” 40So when the Samaritans came to him, they urged him to stay with them, and he stayed two days. 41And because of his words many more became believers.
42They said to the woman, “We no longer believe just because of what you said; now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is the Savior of the world.”
Managing Your Mouth
James 3:1-123 *Not many of you should become teachers, my fellow believers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly. 2 We all stumble in many ways. Anyone who is never at fault in what they say is perfect, able to keep their whole body in check.
3 When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. 4 Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go. 5 Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. 6 The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.
7 All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and sea creatures are being tamed and have been tamed by mankind, 8 but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.
9 With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness. 10 Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be. 11 Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? 12 My brothers and sisters, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water.*These words of James' are words that our culture struggles with, maybe more than any other words in all of the Bible. Now don't get me wrong, our culture struggles with faith and worry, love and kindness, but our struggle to "tame the tongue" likely outshines all our other struggles when it comes to our cultural ethic. Just hop on Twitter and see how our culture is doing in taming our tongue. There's a mantra among those with a robust social media platform and brand, "Don't read the comments." Another is just like it, "Don't feed the trolls." Both of these maxims point to the fact that our culture continues to spew vitriolic speech online. But we must remember, James is writing to committed Christians and the Bible doesn't demand that culture adopt a Christian ethic or lifestyle. No, Christians must adopt an Christian ethic and lifestyle, and what I've noticed over the past few years is that Christians are just as bad at taming our tongues than non-Christians. I've been saddened so many times when I've watched Christians tearing down other Christians in online Twitter wars.
This Sunday at OKC First Church we will be examining James' words about managing our mouth. We will explore the cause of our foul speech, how our untamed tongue causes chaos in our lives, and steps we can take to manage our mouth. I hope to see each of you online or in person this Sunday at 10:45 at OKC First Church!
Pastor Lesly
Faith in the Flesh
James 1:2727 Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.
Not all religion is acceptable to God. That statement strikes our postmodern ears as intolerant, ethnically prejudice, and even bigoted. But there is religion that is acceptable to God, according to James.
A major theme that runs throughout James' epistle is that faith must be lived out in the flesh. Acceptable faith, then, is faith that is lived out, faith that empowers us to care for the orphans and the widows: the least, the last, and the lost.
This Sunday at OKC First Church we will be celebrating Faith Promise Sunday, a day in which we make our commitments to supporting our mission ministries around the world. We will hear from each of our missionaries ministering around the world, examine what it means to care for orphans and widows, and how our faith can be acceptable to God. I look forward to seeing each of you online or in person this Sunday at 10:45 at OKC First Church!
Pastor Lesly
James 2:1-13*2 My brothers and sisters, believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ must not show favoritism. 2 Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in filthy old clothes also comes in. 3 If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, “Here’s a good seat for you,” but say to the poor man, “You stand there” or “Sit on the floor by my feet,” 4 have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?
5 Listen, my dear brothers and sisters: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him? 6 But you have dishonored the poor. Is it not the rich who are exploiting you? Are they not the ones who are dragging you into court? 7 Are they not the ones who are blaspheming the noble name of him to whom you belong?
8 If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing right. 9 But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers. 10 For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it. 11 For he who said, “You shall not commit adultery,” also said, “You shall not murder.” If you do not commit adultery but do commit murder, you have become a lawbreaker.
12 Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom, 13 because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment.*
James' message, this faith lived out in the flesh, is supposed to carry throughout our entire lives. This faith should be lived out more than just on Sunday mornings when we are doing our religious things. It should be lived out more than just before meals when we bless the food. It should be lived out more than just in our prayer life, or devotional life, or church life. This faith in the flesh must be lived out each day, especially in how we interact with other people.
James has some incredibly challenging words to us in our culture. You may think we've surely grown past judging others based on their outward appearances, but I think we have regressed as a culture. Contorting so we can get the best angle for our selfies that make us look 10 pounds lighter, creating a personal brand and image on social media, making sure we wear the latest style of clothing are indisputable signs we have a long way to go.
This Sunday at OKC First Church we will be taking a new look at an old problem: favoritism. We will discover the hidden signs we may be struggling with showing favoritism, how a spirit of favoritism and judgmentalism can be combatted, and ways in which our faith empowers us to treat everyone with respect, dignity, and grace. I hope to see each of you online or in person this Sunday at 10:45 at OKC First Church as we learn "How To Treat People Right."
Pastor Lesly
James 1:2-11
*2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. 4 Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. 5 If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. 6 But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. 7 That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord.8 Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.
9 Believers in humble circumstances ought to take pride in their high position. 10 But the rich should take pride in their humiliation—since they will pass away like a wild flower. 11 For the sun rises with scorching heat and withers the plant; its blossom falls and its beauty is destroyed. In the same way, the rich will fade away even while they go about their business.I love how James begins this letter to first century Jewish Christians. There's no catching up. There are no niceties. There is no blessing. His lead sentence is about trials. And he omits a word that I likely would have used, "if." I would have appreciated James to say something like "consider it pure joy if* you face trials of many kinds." But instead James uses the word "whenever." It's not a matter of "if" we will face trials but "whenever" we will face trials. That's important to note. Trials, disappointment, pain, frustration, and even persecution are the reality for followers of Jesus. But it should be noted, they are a reality for everyone, believers and nonbelievers alike. For believers, though, our suffering has meaning. We understand when we are faithfully living out our faith we are suffering in the midst of our faith and have an ever-present Savior by our side.
This Sunday at OKC First Church we will be examining what it means to experience "trials of many kinds," how those trials can be turned into triumphs, and the process from trials to perseverance. I hope to see each of you online or in person this Sunday at 10:45 at OKC First Church!
Pastor Lesly
Over 75% of Americans identify as Christians, yet only around 35% attend a worship service on any given week. Over 90% of American homes own a Bible, but only 35% of Americans read it weekly. It appears Americans say one thing about their faith, but do something far different. But it's not just those outside the church whose words and faith don't match. It's historically been one of the biggest accusations against the church: hypocrisy. I've heard it throughout my career as a pastor. "I'd go to church, but that church is full of hypocrites." And my response is the same every time, "You are absolutely right. Every church is full of hypocrites like you and me." That doesn't always sit well with people when I say that but then I go on to point out that our words and our actions seldom match, no matter who we are.
The book of James advises against hypocrisy. James words it differently and more succinctly though when he writes, "But be doers of the word, and not hearers only." This Sunday at OKC First Church we will examine what it means to be "doers of the word." We will see how our faith will begin to mature and grown when we begin to live out the faith we so readily proclaim.
Pastor Lesly
The book of James is one of my favorite New Testament books. It hasn't been as popular with great theologians across the centuries, however. Martin Luther called it "an epistle of straw." Even today, some argue against its inclusion in the biblical canon. The primary reason some have rejected this book is because upon a first reading it appears to oppose the core Christian belief of salvation by faith alone. But in my study of James I have found it fully supports the belief of salvation by faith alone, but helps us understand more clearly what faith really is about. Faith is not just a belief or a hope, faith must involve action. In the book of James we find descriptions of faith lived out in the flesh.
Beginning this Sunday I will be starting a new sermon series covering the book of James. We will examine the background, history, and purpose of this short epistle. More importantly though we will explore the major teachings of what faith looks like in our daily walk. As people of faith are pushed further onto the fringes of society it is becoming more difficult to live true faith filled lives. We are tempted to keep our faith to ourselves so as not to stand out too much. However, true faith demands we live it out in the flesh each and every day.
Pastor Lesly
Matthew 5:13-16
Salt and Light 13“You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.
14“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. 15Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.
Lay person, Hardy Patton, reminds us of our calling - to be salt and light.
Lay leader Marty Anderson gives us a powerful message about being fearless in these days.
Ephesians 6:10-12
The Golden Rule
Matthew 7:12-14*12 So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.
13 “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. 14 But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.*We learned this lesson in Kindergarten, treat people the way you want to be treated. It's a simple, yet incredibly profound guide for life. But does Jesus really mean for us to follow this guideline in today's culture of online outrage and social media justice warriors? I think He does. In fact, this is more than a guideline, for Christians this is our way of life.
I hope you will join us online for worship this Sunday at OKC First Church as we complete our series examining the Sermon on the Mount. This "golden rule" of Jesus' will challenge us to lead with kindness, respect, and grace as we engage with our fractured world. We will explore how this "golden rule" will likely become the most fruitful evangelistic tool we can use in today's culture. I hope to see each of you online or in person this Sunday morning at 10:45 at OKC First Church for our worship celebration.
Pastor Lesly
The House Upon the Rock
This is a season of shifting in our culture. And there is some shifting that desperately needs to occur in our culture. Issues of race, criminal justice reform, healthcare access, and generational poverty need to be addressed in different ways. But it seems as though our culture is shifting in many other ways. Constant outrage, victimization, and online shaming have become the norm in our culture. Something has shifted in the past couple of years. It's as if our culture is being tossed to and fro by the waves. However there must be a bedrock in our lives that keeps us on solid footing. That bedrock for Christians is Jesus Christ.
This Sunday as we open for in-person worship at OKC First Church I hope you will join us online or in person as we examine what it means to build our houses upon the rock of Jesus Christ. We will see that having a firm foundation is what our culture desperately needs and is incredibly hungry for. We will examine the steps we can take to firmly build our lives on Jesus. I hope to see each of you online or in person this Sunday morning at 10:45 at OKC First Church.
Pastor Lesly
My prayer life has been disrupted during these stay-at-home times. My morning and evening commutes were previously my times of prayers. Likewise, my schedule has been completely turned upside down. And I have more excuses than that for not praying as I should, but I'll stop there. And that's how many of us think about praying. It's something we "should" do. But Jesus taught something different. Prayer is something we "get" to do. We have a heavenly Father who is ready to give us those good things we need, to help us find what we are looking for, to open up doors for us. It's not that we "should" pray, it's that we "get to" pray.
I hope you will be challenged as we continue looking at the Sermon on the Mount. We will take a new look at prayer, what prayer can mean for our own lives, and how we can begin to view prayer as something we get to do rather than something we should do.
Pastor Lesly
I know, I preached a sermon series on fear just six weeks ago, but there is even more to fear and worry about now than there was six weeks ago. The virus epidemic continues to ravage our city and now civil unrest and protests have stormed into the streets. There is much to fear and worry about, but times haven't changed much from the time of Jesus. They too, were experiencing devastating diseases and constant civil unrest. They too were fearful that their world was rapidly changing for the better and for the worse. They too were worried about their children and grandchildren. But Jesus had words of comfort, guidance, and hope for those first century followers and for us today.
We hope you enjoy this message.
Pastor Lesly
It appears as though some of the teachings of Jesus have been more embraced by those outside the church than those inside the church. Now don't get me wrong, those outside the faith look upon Jesus as simply a good teacher with some good thoughts and not as the Divine Son offering eternal salvation, but still they sometimes take some of the teachings of Jesus more seriously than many believers. Jesus' teaching in the Sermon on the Mount regarding material possessions is one of those teachings. I find some people living counter-culturally who take seriously these words of Jesus. Certainly they are not main-stream folks. They are often people living in communes, on the streets, or off the grid while many mainstream, cultural Christians seem to live to shop and spend. It's as if some Christians believe the way to happiness, joy, and contentment comes with consumerism instead of the way of the cross. This teaching of Jesus' is arguably the most challenging to our contemporary world as anything else in the Sermon on the Mount.
Pastor Lesly
Our Sinning Lips
Objective truth is difficult to find these days. Whether it's the news program, a politician, social media, or anywhere in today's culture truth is hard to come by. Everyone is speaking "their truth." It's amazing how that phrase, "my truth," has made its way into our everyday language. "I'm just speaking my truth," people say. As if everyone has a different truth.
And it's not just in the wider culture. It's all of us. Online interaction? Post a story making our life seem like something out of a story book. A selfie on social media? Get just the right angle, from the top and the side, that will take away our double chine and the roll above our waistline. A business deal? Hire an elaborate team of lawyers to pour over the contracts and notaries and bidding signatures to ensure that everyone will do what they say they will do. But no amount of lawyers will make people more truthful.
Jesus had some very strong words to His followers regarding truth-telling, honesty, and integrity. This Sunday at OKC First Church as we continue examining Jesus' Best Sermon Ever we will see what Jesus had to say about honesty. We will explore specific directions to help us be obedient to Jesus' teachings. We will see that Jesus' words are just as important for us today as they were for those first listeners. I hope to see each of you online this Sunday morning at 10:45 at OKC First Church for our Memorial Day weekend worship celebration.
Pastor Lesly
Lessons on ForgivenessCorrie Ten Boom once said, "Forgiveness is an act of the will, and will function regardless of the temperature of the heart."
Forgiveness is at the heart of who we are as followers of Christ. Obviously we affirm and trust in the forgiveness of God, but likewise we are called to practice extending and asking for forgiveness with our fellow humans. In our age of outrage postmodern culture forgiveness has fallen out of vogue. It was just a few years ago when forgiveness was seen as a virtue. Now, it is seen as an act of evil to forgive others with whom you disagree. Forgive others if they disagree on the meaning of marriage? Never. Forgive others who voted for the other political candidate? Absolutely not. Forgive others who believe differently on how to respond to acts of violence? It would be evil to forgive them.
We've all become such social justice warriors that everything has turned into a life or death situation. Every topic is simply too important a topic to extend forgiveness. But Jesus taught something very different. Jesus taught His followers to forgive. Forgiveness is not optional for followers of Jesus.
Nowhere does Jesus talk more clearly about what it looks like to follow Him than in the Sermon on the Mount. In His longest discourse in the Bible Jesus outlines the practical implications of Godly faith. He teaches what happens when God shows up: the poor, the meek, and those who mourn are called blessed. Enemies are loved. The poor are cared for. God's will is done on earth. These provocative and counter-intuitive statements are just as radical today as they were 2,000 years ago.
Many modern Christians believe following Jesus means going to worship, giving financially to the church, and maybe, if you are a super Christian, attending a Sunday school class or Bible study. Although these are all important aspects of being a Christian none of them compare to what Jesus teaches about in the Sermon on the Mount.
This past week I watched our church's Easter worship on April 16, 1995. It was an amazing worship experience. There was incredible music (the congregation even sang the "Hallelujah Chorus"), excitement, lots of joyful clapping to the music, an impassioned sermon, eight baptisms, and an incredible spirit of optimism. Little did those 1,200 people in attendance know that just three days later their lives and their church would be changed forever.
At 9:02 on that Wednesday morning, April 19, 1995, the worst act of domestic terrorism in U.S. history struck across the street from Oklahoma City First Church. 168 people were killed, including 19 children, over 700 were injured, over 300 businesses, homes, and buildings sustained damage, and thousands of lives were changed forever. If you were living in Oklahoma on that day you remember where you were when you heard the blast or heard the news of the bombing.
But then, there were signs of hope. Signs like lives that were miraculously spared, acts of heroism of first responders, selfless actions by strangers on the street, people lining up all across the state to donate blood, leather gloves, work boots, water, and food for the recovery workers, outdoor chapels constructed, pancake breakfasts served, Easter lilies still standing, stained glass unbroken. There was kindness in the midst of the hate that fueled that evil act of the bombing, life in the midst of all the death and destruction, hope in the midst of all the fear and chaos. It's that same kind of kindness, life, and hope that carries us through during these dark days today.
Pastor Lesly
We all know what it’s like to live between Good Friday and Easter morning. There is so much darkness and despair: divorce, financial ruin, family turmoil, the death of someone you love, raising teenagers, being a teenager, being quarantined at home for weeks on end. You know that dark place, when evil seems to triumph, where goodness can’t be seen, and where you’ve wondered if there is a God at all. We’ve all been there. That’s where the disciples were. And until you realize this, until you experience the darkness of Good Friday, the darkness of the cross, you cannot appreciate what happened on Easter Sunday.
But then Easter Sunday comes and everything changes. Everything. What once was darkness is now light. What once was a burden is now a joy. What once was a fear is now a chance to show boldness. Everything changes.
Resurrection Sunday
*I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic* church,
the communion of saints,
universal
When we affirm each week in the words of the Apostles’ Creed that we believe in the holy universal church we are affirming something astounding. We are affirming that we believe we are better together than we are apart. We are affirming that the Church, broken and dysfunctional as it is, truly is the living body of Christ. We are affirming that God somehow miraculously works through the Church. We are affirming the faiths of other Christians in other churches. Matthew Henry, the great 17th century minister and author said, “When we take God for our God, we take His people for our people.” The Church is our people.
This Palm Sunday at OKC First Church we are going to examine the Church universal, its role in our world today, and its place in our faith journeys. This is an important message in this season of distant digital worship in which we are unable to physically gather together. You won’t want to miss this Palm Sunday with your OKC First Church family.
Pastor Lesly
Apostles' Creed
I believe in the Holy Spirit.As we've examined the Apostles' Creed so far, we've looked at our beliefs about the Father and the Son. Both of those sections of the Creed are clear in their pronouncements of Christian belief about the Father and the Son. But the Creed seems far less clear regarding what we believe about the Holy Spirit. One line, "I believe in the Holy Spirit." That's it. No statement about the work and role of the Holy Spirit. Nothing about the ordinary and extraordinary work of the Holy Spirit. But as we study the Creed more I think possibly most of the last section is about the Holy Spirit. The the Creed turns directly from the Holy Spirit to the Church and no doubt the two are directly related theologically.
This Sunday at First Church we will be examining both the ordinary and extraordinary work of the Holy Spirit. The ordinary work of the Holy Spirit seems quite common: awakening us to the reality of God, convicting us of sin, calling us to a life of love, prayer, repentance, and holiness. But the extraordinary work of the Holy Spirit seems astounding and sometimes bizarre: speaking in tongues, healing, visions, prophecy, and words of knowledge. Both the ordinary and extraordinary works of the Holy Spirit are necessary for us to gain a full picture of the work and ministry of the Holy Spirit.
Pastor Lesly
*The third day he rose from the dead;
he ascended into heaven,
and sitteth at the right hand of God the Father Almighty;
from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.*During this season of social distancing, virus induced panic, and financial instability wouldn't it be nice to know someone is in charge? Sure, the President, Governor, and Mayor have all issued statements and guidance. Certainly lead medical professionals have given advice. Absolutely community and spiritual leaders have tried to lead with grace and intentionality as non-anxious presences, but isn't there someone in charge? This section of the Creed points to the one who is truly in charge: God the Father.
As Christ is seated at the right hand of the Father He is seated on the judgment seat, the seat of advocacy, the seat of authority. God the Father is in charge with His Son at His right hand. The Trinitarian God of the Bible is in charge.
This week at Oklahoma City First Church we will be examining this section of the Apostles' Creed and we will see what it means to say that God is in charge. We will discover the ramifications of God's sovereignty and how that speaks to the health crisis we are currently facing. I hope each of you will join us online in worship this Sunday. You can find our live-streaming worship service on our website here or on our YouTube channel here. If you go to our website you will have the option of live chatting with your fellow congregants during worship so you can connect with one another. If you go directly to our YouTube channel please make sure you go to the particular link provided above. Our previous YouTube channel has been removed. Please subscribe to our channel because when you subscribe you will find it easier to find our posted videos in the future. Also, don't forget about connecting to Sunday school through Zoom.
Please be watching for more digital content in the future. During this global epidemic we will be communicating and connecting with one another digitally. We want to stay in social contact with one another so we will be doing that digitally. Also, be watching for a special video I will send out on Monday about some plans moving forward regarding how we can better connect with one another, especially with those who do not have access to technology, the elderly, and those at highest risk with this virus.
Again, I look forward to engaging with each of you Sunday morning.
Pastor Lesly
What we believe impacts the way we live our lives. In fact, our statements of faith should impact our lives as well. When we recite each Sunday that we believe in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord it should make a difference in our lives.
As we continue to examine the Apostles' Creed we are turning our attention to Jesus this week and what we believe about Jesus makes all the difference in the world about how we practice the Christian faith. I invite you to join us this Sunday for worship at 10:45 at OKC First Church as we discover what we are actually affirming by calling Jesus the Christ, God's Son, and Lord, what kind of difference it makes in our lives to affirm those titles for Jesus, and how this uniquely Christian understanding of Jesus sets us apart, gives us hope, and provides a foundation upon which to build our lives. I hope to see each of you in worship this Sunday at OKC First Church.
Pastor Lesly
This Lenten season we are going to be focusing on the Apostles’ Creed. The Apostles’ Creed is a statement of belief. “I believe,” are the opening words of this creed. The Apostles’ Creed is a brief statement that outlines the foundational doctrines of the Christian faith. In spite of the name it was not written by the Apostles, but it reflects what the Apostles taught. It is a very brief summarization and broad survey of apostolic doctrine. It is Trinitarian in that it affirms God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. It is not comprehensive in that it does not cover all aspects of Christian doctrine, but everything it covers is vital to our Christian faith and is common among all Christians. The Apostles’ Creed is THE most common statement of faith among all churches across the world.
The Apostles’ Creed was written around the year 120 to combat a number of false doctrines or heresies arising in the early Church. Some in the early church were saying Jesus was only a Spirit, not really a human being. Others were saying Jesus was merely a human who became a god at his baptism. There were some who were saying Jesus’ resurrection was simply a myth. Others were debating the nature of the Holy Spirit. The Apostles’ Creed was written to combat false doctrine and beliefs of the early Church.
But that doesn’t mean the Apostles’ Creed has nothing for us today. Certainly, it is a central element of worship as United Methodist Christians, but more so, it both educates and defines us as Christians.
The Apostles' Creed teaches us about our core beliefs. We believe in an Almighty, Creating, and Loving God. We believe in Jesus Christ and affirm that He was crucified and resurrected and will one day judge the world. We believe in the Holy Spirit as known through the universal Church, the resurrection of the dead, and the forgiveness of sins. These are essential beliefs as Christians.
But the Creed also defines us as Christians. Because of the doctrines in the Apostles' Creed we are to live differently. Because we believe in an Almighty God we can live life with confidence, knowing that God is somehow mysteriously in charge. Because we believe in Jesus Christ we can live without fear of dying because we believe as Christ was raised we too will be raised. Because we believe in the Holy Spirit we know we are not alone in the world and that God is as close to us as our heart.
The Apostles’ Creed is more than just a collection of ancient doctrinal statements. The Apostles’ Creed is a living, breathing statement that both informs us and defines us as Christians. Make sure you join us at OKC First Church during this season of Lent as we study, learn about, and daily live The Apostles’ Creed.
Pastor Lesly
When facing insurmountable odds what do you do? Well, many people quietly slip away. Instead of running a marathon they walk for a week and give up. Instead of losing those 40 extra pounds they sneak in a trip to the fast food burger joint. Instead of getting help with their addiction they pop a pill, fill the needle, or light up. Instead of staying and fighting they slip away into the night.
And it’s not always their fault. Indeed, many obstacles in life are seemingly insurmountable, at least on our own. Of course, when the young boy David faced the fierce giant Goliath he stayed and fought, but not without fear and trepidation. Oh yeah, and God was with him. In fact, God’s presence with David was the most important part of that great epic.
This Sunday at OKC First Church we will take a fresh look at this classic story. We will see how God’s hand was leading David into battle, the ways God readies and empowers us for battle, and the kind of victories we can expect when we follow God’s lead. I hope to see each of you this Sunday in worship at 10:45 at OKC First Church as we experience together this story of David and Goliath.
Pastor Lesly
Genesis 6:11-22
11 Now the earth was corrupt in God’s sight and was full of violence. 12 God saw how corrupt the earth had become, for all the people on earth had corrupted their ways. 13 So God said to Noah, “I am going to put an end to all people, for the earth is filled with violence because of them. I am surely going to destroy both them and the earth. 14 So make yourself an ark of cypress wood; make rooms in it and coat it with pitch inside and out. 15 This is how you are to build it: The ark is to be three hundred cubits long, fifty cubits wide and thirty cubits high. 16 Make a roof for it, leaving below the roof an opening one cubit high all around. Put a door in the side of the ark and make lower, middle and upper decks. 17 I am going to bring floodwaters on the earth to destroy all life under the heavens, every creature that has the breath of life in it. Everything on earth will perish. 18 But I will establish my covenant with you, and you will enter the ark—you and your sons and your wife and your sons’ wives with you. 19 You are to bring into the ark two of all living creatures, male and female, to keep them alive with you. 20 Two of every kind of bird, of every kind of animal and of every kind of creature that moves along the ground will come to you to be kept alive. 21 You are to take every kind of food that is to be eaten and store it away as food for you and for them.”
22 Noah did everything just as God commanded him.
When I was growing up we had a wonderful pastor's wife who was very gifted in teaching children. In fact, her expertise was in using a felt board to teach Bible stories to us. She was amazing. I had never experienced these stories like I did when Mary Dieker was teaching them to me. In our digital age of multi-sensory learning the use of felt boards has gone out of style. But I have found using these tools of a bygone era can be effective in today's culture. They are seen as a novelty by today's children who have never heard of or seen a felt board.
One of the reasons I love the felt boards Mary Dieker used is they are the main reason I know the great stories of the Bible. Stories like the great flood, Moses and the burning bush, David and Goliath and Daniel in the Lions' Den are all stories that continue to speak to me today. They are often known as children's stories, even adorning the walls of nurseries and the covers of children's Bible story books. But the messages of these great narratives are anything but simplistic and infantile. These are stories with adult themes and great theological significance.
Beginning this Sunday we are going to be taking a fresh look at these grand Old Testament sagas. Through the use of the felt board, Biblical research, and practical application we will see how these stories still speak to our faith today. This Sunday we will examine the story of Noah and the great flood. We will see how our culture may not be that different from Noah's culture, how God's grace was present in the life of Noah, and signs of God's grace in today's time. I hope to see each of you in worship this Sunday at 10:45 at OKC First Church.
Pastor Lesly
I John 4:7-12
7 Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9 This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. 10 This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. 11 Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12 No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.
We deal with our emotions in many different ways. Some of us meet our emotions head on and we let them out. Sometimes they come out in appropriate ways, but other times they come out in inappropriate ways. Other of us are less comfortable with our emotions. We ignore them, we stuff them, we try to mask them. But during this hectic Christmas season as our anxiety rises we become more of what we are, and our internal issues come out, often in inappropriate ways. We are frustrated our spending on Christmas gifts is more than we had expected so we drink a bit more at the office Christmas party. Although we are surrounded by a constant barrage of people we still feel lonely so we shut people off even more. We are so busy at work trying to finish up the year that when we get home we ignore our children and spouse. Arguments, family squabbles, substance abuse, overboard Christmas celebrations. These are all the results of many of us experiencing a “loveless Christmas.”
But that’s obviously not what Christmas is all about. At that first Christmas God brought Love into this world. Love was born at Christmas and this season is a reminder that in spite of the loss, despair, busyness, and distractions of this season we are called to continue to bring love into the world. I hope you will join us this Sunday in worship at 10:45 at Oklahoma City First Church as we recommit ourselves to ensuring that love is born anew into our world on this Christmas.
Pastor Lesly
Luke 1:26-38
26 In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, 27 to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28 The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”
29 Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. 30 But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. 31 You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.”
34 “How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?”
35 The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called[a] the Son of God. 36 Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month. 37 For no word from God will ever fail.”
38 “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her.
I can't imagine Mary being excited about the words from the angel. She was about to become pregnant as an unwed teenager. A virgin at that. I can't imagine this led to great joy and peace in Mary's life. She knew that if what the angel foretold actually would come to pass it would be anything but peace in her life. Her fiancé Joseph would likely divorce her (he could even demand she be put to death), her parents would likely disown her, her child would be branded as unclean throughout his life, and her fellow Jewish believers would ostracize her. No, this was not good news for Mary at all. In fact, I can't think of much worse news for an unwed teenage girl in the first century.
And many of us know what it is to receive bad news during the Christmas season. We know what it's like to receive that diagnosis from the doctor, that word about our aging parent, that memo from our boss, that letter from that collection agency. We know what it's like to receive that bad news. Often that bad news we've received during the Christmas season over the years sours our celebration of Christmas for years and decades to come. But it doesn't have to be that way. In fact, what seemed to be awful news turned into the ultimate Good News.
So how do we handle those blue seasons of our lives? Where can we find hope and joy in the midst of those blue seasons? This Sunday we are going to be examining what Mary must have been going through, how she found hope and joy, and the lessons we can learn so that we too can find that same hope and joy. I look forward to seeing each of you in worship this Sunday at OKC First Church!
Pastor Lesly
We are in the season that has affectionately come to be labeled "that time of year." It is a time of the year many of us are just holding on by our fingernails with all the activities and commitments we've made to family and friends. It's all so good, yet all so exhausting. Each year it seems Christmas sneaks up on us. Every year I wonder if this will be the year that I make a stand to keep it simple. With all the "to-do" lists and running around for events and purchasing presents it’s really easy to find this season gone before you know it.
Christmas can seem so chaotic and busy, but the reality is that the Christmas story is rather simple. It could have been more complicated, but it wasn't. God sent his Son in a non-assuming way. There was no pretense. No grand production. Just a bewildered couple in a stable welcoming God in the flesh. And it changed everything.
The next few weeks at OKC First Church we’re going to look at our lives in relationship to this season and what’s hindering us from really appreciating this time of anticipation and hope through the gift of God’s son, Jesus. I hope you will join me and invite a friend or family member as we explore “A Simple Christmas.” I will help unpack how to slow down, reflect, and enjoy this season to make it more meaningful for you and those around you.
Pastor Lesly
Habakkuk 3:17-18
17 Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, 18 yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior. Thanksgiving begins the season of parties, events, gatherings, food, decorations, and gifts. For many of us it is a season of family and friends. A busy season at that. So busy, in fact, that we’ve almost lost the real reason for our family Thanksgiving gatherings next week. But don’t be confused, there is indeed a reason we gather together: to give thanks to God.
But for what are we thanking God? All the blessings in our lives? Food, shelter, clothing? Certainly. All the abundance of those blessings? Wealth, large homes, new cars, fashion clothing? Of course. But what about during those seasons of life without those types of blessings? Can we still be thankful?
This Sunday at OKC First Church we will learn about the story of the prophet Habakkuk and how he learned to give thanks and to be joyful even in the midst of disaster and despair. You won't want to miss our combined worship service with The Christ Experience as Pastor Frankye Johnson joins me in preaching this important message. I hope to see each of you in worship this Sunday at 10:45 at OKC First Church.
Pastor Lesly
Give . . . All You Can
I Timothy 6:6-1, 17-19
*6 But godliness with contentment is great gain. 7 For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. 8 But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. 9 Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.
17 Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. 18 Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. 19 In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.*
Give all you can. That was the last instruction on the use of money that John Wesley gave to his early followers. But those words weren’t just empty for Mr. Wesley, they guided his entire life.
In 1731, at the age of 28, he began to limit his expenses so he could give more money to the poor. In the first year his income was 30 pounds and he found he could live on 28 so he gave two away. In the second year his income doubled, but he held his spending even, and so he had 32 pounds to give away. In the third year his income jumped to 90 pounds and he gave away 62 pounds. In his long life Wesley’s income advanced to as high as 1,400 pounds in a year. But he rarely let his expenses rise above 30 pounds and he said he seldom had more than 100 pounds in his possession at a time.
The English Tax Commissioners thought he had to be hiding away items he was not paying excise taxes on so in 1776 they investigated him, but found no wrongdoing. When he died in 1791 at the age of 87 the only money mentioned in his will was the coins to be found in his pocket and in his dresser. Most of the 30,000 pounds he made throughout his life he had given away.
So what will be said in your will? Will it be said of you that you were generous, giving the needy and the poor, or will you be known as someone who clung to every penny you earned? I hope to see you this Sunday at Oklahoma City First Church as we discover how we can give all we can.
You are invited to bring your completed 2020 estimate of giving card with you to worship this Sunday. If you are out of town this weekend you are welcome to bring a completed card the following two Sundays or drop it by the church office.
Pastor Lesly
Last week we examined how we are to earn all we can. We are called to earn a living in order to properly care for ourselves and our families, be a productive citizen in our society, and the please God. Certainly, many of us don’t have a problem with not earning money, but we often have a problem in making that the primary focus of our lives. We are to earn a living, not to surround ourselves with comfort or to find meaning and significance in life, but instead to please God.
Now, this week we turn our attention to one of the greatest issues of our day: saving money. Everyone from those with low income to those with high income, from the local government to the federal government, from those in undeveloped countries to those in developed countries struggles to save money appropriately.
25% of Americans have no savings at all. That means ¼ of all Americans are literally living paycheck to paycheck and if an emergency arises they will not be able to pay their bills. Likewise, those who do have a savings account often do not have enough saved. The average American savings account is only $3,800. For most people that will not cover two months’ worth of expenses. All this is occurring in one of the strongest overall national economies in history. The average household income in Oklahoma City is $26,275. That puts the average household in Oklahoma City in the top 2% in the world in income, but even though we are in the top 2% in the world in income we aren’t saving as we should.
Luke 12:15-21
15 Then he said to them, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.”
16 And he told them this parable: “The ground of a certain rich man yielded an abundant harvest. 17 He thought to himself, ‘What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.’
18 “Then he said, ‘This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store my surplus grain. 19 And I’ll say to myself, “You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.”’
20 “But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’
21 “This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward God.”
When John Wesley sent out his circuit preachers, he sent them out with a Bible in one hand and his sermons in the other hand. To us it may seem a bit egotistical for Wesley to send out preachers in order to preach Wesley’s sermons, but for most of those preachers that was the only theological training available to them. These sermons are known today as “Wesley’s 52 Standard Sermons,” one for each week of the year. These amazing sermons form part of the doctrine of our United Methodist Church.
One of the last sermons in this collection is entitled “The Use of Money.” Now remember, these sermons were written in the late 1700s, but this sermon in particular still speaks to us today. In this sermon Wesley says, “Having first gained all you can, and, secondly, saved all you can, then give all you can.” Wesley taught those first Methodists to earn, save, and give all they could.
Over the next three weeks at OKC First Church we are going to be examining these three aspects of our relationship with money. On the last Sunday of this short three-part series you will be asked to turn in a financial commitment card so we can estimate our church’s available budget for next year.
This week we will be examining Wesley’s instruction to “earn all you can.” It seems odd that we would need to talk about this in our upwardly-mobile, consumer-driven, over-worked culture, but there is a shadow side to this instruction to “earn all you can.” Wesley was aware of the danger of unbridled acquisitions. He warned, "We ought to gain all we can without paying too high a price for it." Jesus sounds a similar warning in this week’s text, "Take care! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; for one's life does not consist in the abundance of one's possessions."
So I hope you will be blessed as you join us this Sunday as we examine these ancient, but still relevant, instructions to “Earn, Save, and Give … All You Can.”
Pastor Lesly
Of all the complex areas of our lives we have examined in our current series none are more complicated than our relationship with God. The complexities in our relationship with God go directly to the core of our being. Hang-ups about our own parents, especially our dads, present themselves quite readily. The distractions of the nuances of theology and the practice of Christianity are so great that we seldom get to the true heart of our faith. More books have been written about the inticracies of the Christian faith than about any other topic.
But when we think more closely about it, our faith is quite simple, or at least it should be. In the book "Simple Life" the authors ask a series of simple, yet defining questions regarding this central part of our life: Am I closer to God today than I was a year ago? Is prayer a regular part of my day? Do I read the Bible at least two or three times a week? Am I truly connected, in a meaningful way, to a local congregation? Do I talk freely with my family and others about my faith? Do I love others? These questions get to the heart of our faith.
We have a desire that God be first in our lives, but the reality for most Christians is that God isn’t first in our lives. This Sunday at OKC First Church we will be examining our complex relationship with God, how we can simplify that relationship, and some practical steps we can take during this upcoming holiday season to ensure God remains our top priority in our lives. I look forward to seeing each of you in worship at OKC First Church this Sunday!
Pastor Lesly
We have a complex relationship with money. The average American annually spends 102% of their income, meaning the average American is falling into debt more and more each year. Americans are drowning in debt. This is surprising as America is one of the wealthiest countries in the world. If you earn $25,000 a year are in the top 2% in income in the world. If you are simple within our boarders of the U.S.A. are are automatically in the top 5% in income in the world. The complexity is that we have so much, but really so little to show for it. We think if we just had more money then everything else would work out. However, the National Endowment for Financial Education estimates that 70% of those who have unexpectedly come into large sums of money end up broke within seven years. Almost 90% of NFL players are broke within five years of retiring. Over 70% of winners of mega lottery drawings are bankrupt within 5 years. Our problem, often times, is not money. It's a deeper heart issue.
In this episode we'll examine our complex relationship with money and how we can simplify that relationship. We will see the importance of aligning our use of money with our life values and priorities.
Simple Life: Time
"How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives. What we do with this hour, and that one, is what we are doing," writes American author Annie Dillard. Time is money. The most valuable asset we have is our time. Once spent, you can never get your time back. These maxims about time show just how much of a value we have put on time. But for most of us we have filled our time with things that are not important. We spend our days perusing social media, watching hours of mindless TV shows, waste away the precious moments we have with our family members.
This Sunday at OKC First Church we will be examining our complex relationship with time. We will discover how we are spending our time, how we can manage our time more effectively, how we can set our life priorities, and practical steps we can take to live out our life priorities. I hope to see each of you this Sunday at OKC First Church as we examine "Simple Time."
Pastor Lesly
In a study of 1,000 American adults Thom and Art Rainer, researchers and authors, asked what area of life people needed simplicity. In profound fashion the respondents gave four primary answers: relationships, time, money, and God. In all these areas people want less complexity to live lives that truly matter. I know in my own life it all begins with relationships. If my relationships are out of balance, full of complexity, and broken then the rest of my life feels out of balance, complex and broken.
From the beginning of the Biblical narrative we find that humans are created in God's image, as relational beings. God desires relationships just as humans desire relationships. One of the most inhumane things we can do to a person is to put them into solitary confinement, to cut off all meaningful human contact, to break all relationships with them. It's inhumane because living a life alone is the opposite of living life. We are all created for and yearn for deep and abiding relationships, yet our relationships are so often fraught with congestion, difficulty, and instability.
This Sunday at OKC First Church we will examine the complexity of our relationships, how we are called to simplify them, and some practical steps we can take to experience deep and abiding relationships. We will be challenged to take some very concrete actions in the coming week. You won’t want to miss this message and challenge. I hope to see each of you in worship this Sunday at First Church!
Pastor Lesly
Life is stressful.
Life is busy.
I don’t have time for the things that matter.
No matter where we are in life, we all have the same complaints about our lives. We are simply too busy. We all likely struggle under the pressing weight of work, family, exercise, bills, church, school, friends, and a barrage of requests, demands, and desires. Most everyone we know feels exhausted and overwhelmed most of the time. But it doesn’t have to be that way. In fact, it shouldn’t be that way.
Jesus didn’t live that way. He lived a simple life. He had space on the margins of life to pay attention to the distractions, to help the helpless, to follow God’s call upon His life. Isn’t that how life should be rather than living frantically from one distraction to the next?
Join us at OKC First Church for our current sermon series “Simple Life” beginning this Sunday. Throughout this series we are examining God’s call for us to live a more simple, uncluttered, and faith-filled life. We hope this series will inspire lives that are more spiritual and less harried, rich in experiences with family and friends rather than nagging to-do lists or late nights at the office. Join us in this Simple Life.
Pastor Lesly
"Opportunity to Serve" a message from Hardy Patton
Matthew 20:20-28
A Mother's Request
20 Then the mother of Zebedee’s sons came to Jesus with her sons and, kneeling down, asked a favor of him. 21 “What is it you want?” he asked. She said, “Grant that one of these two sons of mine may sit at your right and the other at your left in your kingdom.” 22 “You don’t know what you are asking,” Jesus said to them. “Can you drink the cup I am going to drink?” “We can,” they answered. 23 Jesus said to them, “You will indeed drink from my cup, but to sit at my right or left is not for me to grant. These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared by my Father.” 24 When the ten heard about this, they were indignant with the two brothers. 25 Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. 26 Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, 27 and whoever wants to be first must be your slave— 28 just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
Of all the directives and instructions of Jesus one stands above all the others. It is second in importance only to the command of love, but it is first in the difference it makes in our relationships with others. It has the power to destroy marriages, sour friendships, bankrupt companies, topple nations. No, it is not adultery, or lying, or gossiping, or stealing. I am talking about forgiveness.
Forgiveness was the virtue most lived out by Joseph. Indeed, throughout his life Joseph demonstrated many other qualities like faith, trust, humility, and patience, but in the end forgiveness is what set him apart.
This Sunday at OKC First Church we will conclude our sermon series “Roots: Back to Our Beginnings” as we examine the forgiveness of Joseph. We will explore the depth of Joseph’s forgiveness, how forgiving his brothers changed his family forever, and how the power of forgiveness can extend to generations in our own lives. I hope to see each of you in worship this Sunday at 10:45 at OKC First Church for this very important message of hope and inspiration.
Pastor Lesly
Roots: Joseph the Slave
Joseph often gets a bad rap. People believe he’s a bit arrogant and seems to relish being the favorite child, but as you read the story in the Bible, I am not sure that’s an accurate portrayal of his personality. I think this misreading of Joseph’s life is caused by us projecting our stories into his story. Everyone detests the sibling that acts like the favorite child in the family. However, when you read the rest of his story no one can question the depth of Joseph’s trials and tribulations. They are clear and accurate. Sold as a slave. Believed dead by his father and mother. Falsely accused of sexual assault. Left in prison for two years. Forgotten by a confidant in prison. These events were at the lowest point of Joseph’s life.
Indeed, probably none of us have been falsely imprisoned, believed dead by our parents, or sold into slavery, but we have certainly experienced low points in our lives. Divorces, deaths of loved ones, broken relationships, career upheavals, habits that have turned into addictions, dreams that have gone unmet. These are the low points of despair and pain in our lives. So, what does the story of Joseph teach us about those difficult times in our lives?
Pastor Lesly
Roots: Joseph the Dreamer
When we have a friend who abuses our trust what do we do? When the competition with a coworker causes friction in the office how do we react? When there has been too much water under the bridge with that family member, or sibling rivalries have caused a broken family system, or we have seemingly been defeated in life what is our response?
No character in the Old Testament better illustrates God’s desires for how to handle being mistreated, victimized, abused, and battered by the circumstances in life than Joseph. He experienced victimization at the hands of his brother, homelessness, fabricated accusations, false imprisonment, and even the threat of death, but God saw him through it time and again. And not only did God see Joseph through the most difficult times of his life, God brought meaning to those difficult times and in the end Joseph understood that although some people meant for evil and harm to come to him God used it for good. That’s a powerful statement and witness for those who are going through difficult times.
As we continue our sermon series “Roots: Back to our Beginnings.” We will analyze the details of the predicaments Joseph experiences, ways that God rescued him, and how we too might be able to find meaning in life’s most difficult circumstances.
Pastor Lesly
Faith is not easy. Anyone who says faith comes easy is either new to faith or hasn’t really understood the depth of faith. Faith is not easy, it’s often a struggle. To be sure it’s a struggle with doubt and despair, disappointment and pain. But it’s also a struggle with God. A struggle to understand God. A struggle to know God. A struggle to follow God. Faith is a struggle.
And we aren’t the only ones to admit the struggle of faith. For Jacob the struggle was real. The Bible tells how Jacob wrestled with God, literally. As I read that story, I have many questions, but the story teaches us a number of truths about faith that can impact our own relationship with God.
As we continue our sermon series “Roots: Back to Our Beginnings” we will examine the story of Jacob wrestling with God. In this story we will discover the value of wrestling with God, the importance of difficulties in life, and how real change takes place when we struggle with our faith.
Pastor Lesly
What a week of mission activity and events! We have been sowing seeds throughout this week by being in service to those in need and to those who are spiritually lost. Thank you to all who helped package over 18,000 meals last Sunday before worship and helped us raise thousands of dollars for our missionaries on Wednesday night. This week has been extremely successful and productive!
This Sunday at First Church we are going to be examining the rest of Paul's words to the church at Corinth regarding their financial gifts and assistance to the impoverished and persecuted Christians in Jerusalem. He wrote to the Corinthians about planting seeds. Certainly as a farm boy this Scripture has always stuck with me. I have sown thousands of acres of wheat seeds in my lifetime. So I know what it means to sow seeds. But recently Paul's words have taken on new meaning for me, especially when examined in the context of the Corinthian church raising money to send to another area of the world. Paul's words to the Corinthians are God's words to us today.
I pray God has laid on your hearts the financial commitment He is asking you to make to support our missionaries serving around the world through your Faith Promise pledge. The reality is that last year we had to drop funding for one of our missionaries because we simply didn't have enough pledges. This year, we are praying for an increase in the amount and number of our pledges to Faith Promise. We have a missionary in mind we want to support, but we simply need the financial support from you to be able to help send this missionary into the field that is ripe unto harvest.
This Sunday we will begin collecting the Faith Promise pledge cards and will continue collecting them throughout this month. We hope you will prayerfully consider what God might ask you to give to our missionaries that is over and above your regular giving to First Church
I look forward to seeing each of you in worship this Sunday as we conclude our celebration of Mission Week at OKC First Church!
Pastor Lesly
I was scared to death when I was a young boy that God would call me to be a missionary. In fact, that fear stuck with me into my teen years. Even though I was an extremely involved leader in our youth group I stayed home when our youth group went on a weekend mission trip to Dallas. I didn’t want anything to do with being a missionary. Needless to say, God has changed my heart over the years. In fact, mission work, both domestic and international, is one of my great joys in life.
First Church has always been passionate about mission work. Even as far back as the 1930s we were actively involved in supporting overseas missions. First Church has always been a church that understands the global nature of Christianity and for the past number of years we have used “Faith Promise” as our primary means of supporting missionaries around the world. You will hear more about “Faith Promise” the next two Sundays and how this approach to financially supporting missions has transformed our global outreach at First Church.
This Sunday we are kicking off “Missions Week” at First Church. We will begin this Sunday morning from 8:30 am to 10:30 am by packaging food through Stamp Out Starvation. Make sure you show up before 8:30 am so we can package as much food as possible. You can find out more about Stamp Out Starvation on their website, https://www.stampoutstarvation.com.
On Wednesday evening we will have a great evening of fellowship, celebration, and food with a barbecue cook-off, a dessert auction, and a presentation from one of the missionaries we support. During the barbecue cook-off and dessert auction you will have the chance to vote for your favorite barbecue by giving a financial donation or bidding for your favorite desert. All the proceeds from the evening will go to support our missions program at First Church.
I look forward to seeing each of you in worship this Sunday as we kick of Mission Week at OKC First Church!
Pastor Lesly
When I was in college, I struggled finding a church. I tried the big United Methodist Church in town, but it was just so foreign to my rural, small church background. It was a massive sanctuary and the pastor wore a robe. Although I had grown up in the United Methodist Church, I had never seen a pastor wear a robe. In hindsight I suspect it wasn’t the robe, but the person wearing the robe that rubbed me the wrong way. So I tried all the Baptist churches in town with my roommate who was a lifelong Baptist. I bet I tried over a dozen churches. I drifted from church to church until a coworker named Sandy told me about her church. She said it was relaxed, but there was a passion about their worship. She told me their preacher delivered a solid Biblical sermon and that the church had a loving atmosphere. She even told me she would meet me there the next Sunday. I spent the remainder of my college years in that church.
It’s amazing what a personal invitation will do. Although fewer people are attending church in America today and much has been written about the secularization of our country, still 82% of those considered “unchurched” are at least somewhat likely to attend a local church if a friend invited them. That’s pretty amazing when you think about it. 82% of those who do not attend church would attend if someone they knew invited them. But the sad part is that seven out of 10 unchurched people have never been invited to a church in their whole lives. That tells me we have neighbors and coworkers and family members who are simply waiting for someone to invite them to church.
This Sunday at First Church we will be concluding our series entitled “The Art of Neighboring” as we examine the “Power of Invitation.” We will look at the core reasons for inviting others to church, some practical steps to inviting someone, and how inviting a person to church can possibly change their life for eternity.
Pastor Lesly
When our kids were young we loved to watch VeggieTales. These animated vegetables told Biblical stories in such wonderful ways. The first episode I ever watched was titled “Are You My Neighbor?” It was a retelling of the parable of the Good Samaritan. One of the songs we sung often at our house was sung by the Mayor of Flibber-o-loo and the Doctor of Flibbian as they saw the poor soul who had been beaten and left alone alongside the road. The words of the song are “We're busy, busy, dreadfully busy! You've no idea what we have to do. Busy, busy, shockingly busy! Much, much too busy for you! 'Cause we're busy, busy, dreadfully busy! More than a bumble bee more than an ant! Busy, busy, horribly busy! We'd love to help, but we can't!”
We sang the song around our household in jest, but in reality, it rings true in my own life today. I’m simply too busy to help others, to be a good neighbor to others. I mean I have Twitter and Facebook to check, Netflix and Hulu to watch. I have my own life to take care of. I certainly don’t have time to get to know my neighbors.
But our struggle with busyness isn’t new. It’s something that has plagued humanity since the beginning. Even Jesus was tempted by being too busy, but He always chose relationships over busyness. Time and again He stopped and ministered to those in need, even when He was in a hurry.
In this message we will be examining some practical ways we can make time for loving our neighbors. We will look at reprioritizing our time, our motivation for loving our neighbors, and how to shift from viewing our neighbors as bothersome annoyances to viewing them as children of God.
Pastor Lesly
Pastor Lesly speaks on how we are to passionately share the message of Christ with others because we have had a radical encounter with Christ.
In this message Pastor Lesly speaks on the taking the greatest commandment literally - loving your neighbor.
Guest Preacher, Reverend Chris Tiger
Acts 14:26-27
26 From Attalia they sailed back to Antioch, where they had been committed to the grace of God for the work they had now completed. 27 On arriving there, they gathered the church together and reported all that God had done through them and how he had opened a door of faith to the Gentiles.
Rev. Chris Tiger has served as the Director of New Faith Communities of the Oklahoma Conference since 2016. In this position Chris has had the privilege of supporting and encouraging those who are starting new churches and helping new people become disciples of Jesus Christ. Previously he served as the Superintendent of the Lawton and Wichitas District. He also served as a pastor of churches in Commerce, Altus, Enid and Owasso. During his time at Owasso, he helped the church relocate to a new site and double their worship attendance.
He and his wife, Priscilla, are the parents of two children: Amy Givens and Aaron Tiger who are both in ministry. They have blessed him with four grandchildren. He enjoys spending time with his family and being Papa Tiger. He is a teacher at heart, and particularly enjoys helping others understand and appreciate the Bible.
Remember if you are out of town and want to still join us for worship we livestream our worship services on our First Church Facebook page. You can tune in live or join at a later time.
I've determined that raising small children is simply a test of wills. I can remember thinking to myself when our children were young that their wills would never be overcome. Children have such strong wills. They seem so intent on getting their way. Tears, screams, fits. They are all used to get their way. And then they become teenagers and young adults and little changes, except their strategies change. And then I look at my own relationship with God and realize I use the same tactics to get my way. Manipulation, acts of self-preservation, and spiritual tantrums are all schemes we use to get our way with God.
Not my will, but Thy will be done. This is the most difficult, yet highest prayer we can pray. It's the prayer Jesus prayed in the garden the night of His arrest. He asked for God to spare Him the suffering about to befall Him, but quickly turned to that ultimate prayer of setting aside His own desires for God's desires. And then something amazing happened as the gospel writers describe it, an angel appeared and strengthened Him. That's an important truth. When we surrender to God's will the Holy Spirit will strengthen us to follow God's will.
This Sunday at First Church OKC we will conclude our series entitled "Jesus Uncensored" as we examine this ultimate prayer of Jesus'. We will take a close look at the meaning of God's will and a practical process for determining God's will in our own lives, especially as it relates to major decisions in our lives. You won't want to miss this important message and worship service. I hope to see each of you in worship this Sunday at 10:45 am at Oklahoma City First United Methodist Church.
Pastor Lesly
Luke 14:25-35
25 Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them he said: 26 “If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own life—such a person cannot be my disciple. 27 And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.
28 “Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won’t you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it? 29 For if you lay the foundation and are not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule you, 30 saying, ‘This person began to build and wasn’t able to finish.’
31 “Or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Won’t he first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand? 32 If he is not able, he will send a delegation while the other is still a long way off and will ask for terms of peace.33 In the same way, those of you who do not give up everything you have cannot be my disciples.
34 “Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? 35 It is fit neither for the soil nor for the manure pile; it is thrown out.
“Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear.”
I recently discovered that a woman I know is attending seminary. I was thrilled to hear she is in seminary where a friend of mine is a professor, so I excitedly told him, “I hear ‘so-and-so’ is one of your students!” He appallingly replied, “She may attend my lectures, but she is not one of my students.” His reply reminded me of the difference between being a follower of Jesus and being a disciple of Jesus. Being a follower means attending a few lectures, hanging out with other followers, being close enough to hear what the teacher says but not really living his instructions. But being a disciple is something totally different. Being a disciple of Jesus means being willing to be disowned by your family and willfully taking on persecution because of your faith.
As we continue our series entitled “Jesus Uncensored” we will be examining a teaching of Jesus’ that is often ignored or misunderstood. This Sunday we will be exploring what it means to “hate” your family and to carry your own cross. We will see how this radical call to discipleship is the same radical call Jesus has for us today. We will be challenged to renew our commitment to be devoted disciples of Jesus Christ. I hope to see each of you in worship this Sunday at 10:45 a.m. at First Church OKC.
Remember if you are out of town and want to still join us for worship we livestream our worship services on our First Church Facebook page. You can tune in live or join at a later time.
Pastor Lesly
“Gentle Jesus, Meek and Mild” is a hymn not well known to most of us, but the sentiment of the hymn is certainly prevalent among Christians. We have this idea that Jesus was so gentle, so meek, so mild that He never confronted or challenged anyone. A sort of Mr. Rogers of yesteryear, always encouraging, always kind, always mellow, peaceful, and bland. But when we read the Gospels, we see a Jesus who is anything but feeble and spineless. We see a Rabi who is bold, courageous, and challenging. We see a Savior confronting the powers, false ideologies, and harmful practices of His day with statements like “the first shall be last,” “turn the other cheek,” and even “not my will, but Thy will be done.” Many of us, however, have censored those parts of Jesus’ revolutionary message to make Him more palatable to our comfortable contemporary lives.
This month we will be examining “Jesus Uncensored” as we take a closer look at Jesus’ radical teachings, their impact on our lives, ways we can live into these important principles, and Jesus’ transforming power in our lives. We hope to see you in worship this month!
Pastor Lesly
On April 22, 1889 a shot rang out and thousands flooded the prairie landscape with a dream in their hearts and a stake in their hands. Those dreams would lead to the settling of a new frontier in our country and those stakes would lead to new farms, homesteads, and businesses. In just a few hours, Oklahoma City was born out of the prairie grasses along a river bed. And then, just a few days later a church was formed. On Sunday, April 28 a call went out for all the Methodists to meet at a location on the north side of town, now called Dean A. McGee Avenue, directly across the street south of our church’s current location. On the second Sunday the Methodists separated into their denominational preferences, on June 23 First Church was chartered as the First Methodist Episcopal Church, in August land on the corner of 4th and Robinson was purchased, and on October 27, 1889 our first church building was dedicated. For the next 130 years a Methodist church and ministry has emanated from this corner.
So, what do these last 130 years of ministry teach us about what the next 130 years of ministry might look like? What lessons have been learned from our church that will sustain and strengthen us into the future? What practices of the Christian faith nourished our predecessors and can help nurture and grow our faith and life together today?
This Sunday we will be celebrating First Church’s 130th anniversary. We will be peering into our past so we might be able to get a glimpse into our future. We will look at some fascinating stories and lessons from the earliest days of First Church so we can be better prepared for our bright future. We hope you will join us for worship this Sunday at 10:45 am at First Church as we celebrate together 130 years of dynamic ministry in Oklahoma City!
Pastor Lesly
“Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” Even at the time of His death Jesus was forgiving, offering grace, asking for God’s mercy, and bringing salvation. That was the thrust of His earthly ministry, found in the climax of His death and resurrection. And He was right. Much of the time we do not know what we are doing. We unintentionally harm others by what we say and what we don’t say, by what we do and what we don’t do. We are often so spiritually dull we don’t even notice the harm we do to others or the sin that has ensnared us. But then there are other times when we certainly know what we are doing. Sometimes our actions, words, and even sins are indeed intentional. We are calculated in our harming of others. But we continue to hear those words, “Father, forgive them. . .”
In this message we will be examining these life-giving, salvation-bringing last words of Jesus on this special confirmation Sunday.
Pastor Lesly
The events of Good Friday are central to our faith. In fact, I would say every single Christian knows, understands, and affirms what occurred on that last day of Jesus’ life. Every Christian of every era has affirmed that the death of Jesus Christ was salvific and that His death was an atonement for our sins. Almost all of us understand, to some degree, the theological implications of that Friday. We have a sense of the injustice, of the punishment, of the abandonment, of the sacrifice, of the atonement that occurred on that day. We understand the broad meaning of the day, but few of us have studied the details of that day.
In this message we will be examining the details of that last Friday of Jesus’ life. Through the lenses of Scripture, geography, history, and theology we will look at His movements, His actions, the actions of others, and the significance of that Friday for our faith. I hope to see you in worship this Sunday morning at 10:45 am as we examine “Good Friday.”
Pastor Lesly
The tastes of communion bread and juice take me back to my childhood. I have been taking communion since I was a small child and that somewhat odd mixture of grape juice and bread takes me back 40 years. I remember going to the altar to kneel with my parents and older siblings as a young boy. Certainly, throughout my life there have been many instances in which communion made a particular impact on me: at my wedding, as a hospital chaplain in a Catholic hospital while in seminary, the first time I presided as an ordained pastor, while on my Walk to Emmaus weekend. But most of the times I take communion I am focusing on the spiritual nature of the experience rather than the historical and theological implications of this holy meal.
John’s Gospel devotes five entire chapters to the Last Supper and Jesus’ teachings. John obviously believed what Jesus did and said during that last supper with His disciples was important. In this message we will be examining closely what Jesus did and said during that Last Supper as well as His prayer in the garden. We will examine some of the details that are often overlooked like the seating arrangement, the taking of the cup, and the changing of the familiar words to an ancient Jewish meal and tradition. We will see how Jesus’ actions and words at the Last Supper and His prayer in the garden may indeed be the most important words of His life.
Pastor Lesly
Matthew’s Gospel is the gospel with the most day to day detail of Jesus’ actions during his Last 7 Days. So, it is from Matthew that we get the tradition of Wednesday of Holy Week being called “Spy Wednesday” for it was on this day that Judas conspired to hand Jesus over to the authorities for only 30 pieces of silver. Likewise, it was on Wednesday that Jesus was anointed by Mary at the house of Simon the leper. These three characters, Simon the leper, Mary, and Judas, show us three responses to the life and ministry of Jesus. Each of their initial responses are adequate. Simon, in his thankfulness of being healed of leprosy, invites the Lord to his house. Mary, in her extravagant worship washes Jesus’ feet with expensive perfume. Judas, in his supposed practicality wants to give money to the poor. All three of these responses are valid, yet incomplete.
In this message we will see what about their responses made them incomplete. We will continue to examine the Last 7 Days through the lenses of history, geography, and theology to see what important lessons of our faith we can learn from Spy Wednesday.
Pastor Lesly
Throughout the last week of Jesus’ life He stayed outside the city of Jerusalem on the Mount of Olives and then returned into the city to teach in the Temple. Jesus’ teachings during The Last 7 Days included multiple attempts by the religious leaders to trap Jesus. They posed some of the most difficult and pressing questions of the day, “By whose authority do you minister?” “Is it right to pay taxes to the evil Roman government?” “Is there an afterlife?” In posing these questions they were not searching for the truth, but for an opportunity to trick Jesus so they could arrest Him to quiet Him and His disciples.
But there are some important answers Jesus gave in response to their questions. In this message we will be closely examining Jesus’ answers and what His answers teach us. I hope you will join us this Sunday at 10:45 am at First Church OKC as we study “The Last 7 Days” together.
Pastor Lesly
Entry of the King
I love the season of Lent. It is an amazing time of introspection and intense spiritual renewal. But one of my frustrations during Holy Week, the week before Easter, is that we typically zoom through that busy week without being able to focus on the details of that week. On most Palm Sundays we try to fit in the celebration of Palm Sunday, a quick nod to the cleansing of the Temple, a note about Jesus’ healings and teachings, and a smattering of teaching about Maundy Thursday and Good Friday, all the while looking to Easter Sunday. In fact, many of us will attend church on Palm Sunday, in which Jesus is hailed as king, skip the Holy Week services, and then come back to church on Easter Sunday to celebrate the resurrection. But The Last 7 Days of Jesus’ life entailed so much more drama, pain, teaching, and meaning than many of us ever experience.
More details are known about the last week of Jesus’ life than any other time in His life because the gospel writers focus so intently on it. In fact, 1/3 of Matthew, 1/3 of Mark, 1/4 of Luke, and 1/2 of John is spent on the last seven days of Jesus’ life. This tells us that what Jesus said, did, and experienced during that last week is important. So, this Lent at First Church OKC we will be examining in depth “The Last 7 Days.” We will focus closely on the events of Palm Sunday afternoon, his teachings on Monday, the healings He performed on Tuesday, the anointing He experienced on Wednesday, the Last Supper and arrest on Thursday, the trial, crucifixion, and death on Friday, and the resurrection on early Sunday morning. We will be examining each of these events through the eyes of history, geography, and theology to find significant meaning for our lives during this season of Lent. This Sunday we will be focusing our attention on Palm Sunday, Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem. We will look at the details behind this chaotic scene, the historical and religious background of the actions of the crowd and Jesus, and the lessons Palm Sunday teaches us.
I hope to see each of you this Sunday at First Church OKC at 10:45 am for this exciting series on “The Last 7 Days.”
Pastor Lesly
God is love. I’ve heard that all of my life. In fact, this phrase is the mantra of modern Christianity. And it’s the truth. The problem is that though many of us know it’s the truth, we still struggle to believe it and live into its reality. In our heart of hearts many of us think God is authoritarian, critical, or distant and it creates problems in our relationships with God. It makes us distrustful and apprehensive in our relationship with God. It creates a casual faith. It generates a diminished sense of God’s grace. It produces fear and anxiety. But the fact remains, God is love and this love is no more clearly seen than in Jesus’ parable of the Prodigal Son.
In this parable, the primary emphasis is on the loving father, not the prodigal son. It is the father’s actions that are the most surprising and life-transforming and it is the father’s actions that we will study together.
This Sunday at First Church we will be concluding our series entitled One.Life as we examine GodIsLove.Life. We will see how surrendering to the sweet embrace of our loving God changes our lives, gives us purpose, and renews our spirits. Join us this Sunday morning at First United Methodist Church OKC at 10:45 am for GodIsLove.Life.
Pastor Lesly
Vocation.Life
When I was a kid I wasn’t sure what I wanted to be when I grew up. Maybe a teacher, like my dad, a cowboy, like John Wayne and my dad, a farmer, like my dad, and a school bus driver, like my dad. (Are you seeing a theme here?) But as I got into high school, I still wasn’t sure. I had thought about being a medical doctor, an optometrist, a coach, and certainly a farmer. But then God got a hold of me and called me to be a pastor. The moment of my call I knew beyond a shadow of doubt this was what God had for me. But I’ll be honest, in the early years of my ministry I wasn’t sure how to handle the multiple roles I held in my life. I was a son, a brother, a husband, a father, and a pastor. I thought being a pastor would redefine all the rest of the roles in my life. I remember being perturbed having to change diapers at home. “I bet Billy Graham didn’t have to change diapers,” I thought. When supper wasn’t ready for me when I came home from long day at the church I often thought, sometimes out loud, “I bet Dr. King had supper waiting for him when he came home.” When I went to my hometown to see my siblings and parents I wanted them to treat me like the highly esteemed reverend I knew I was in my mind. But they still treated me like their younger brother or son.
The problem was that my vocation had begun to define who I was. It wasn’t long until I realized it was toxic to my soul to think I was only a pastor. So I started asking that people call me Lesly, instead of Pastor, Preacher, or Reverend. I understood they were mostly using my title as a sign of respect, but I had become lost in my vocation. I had lost my self-identity as a child of God.
This is just one aspect of my Vocation.Life that I’ve struggled through over the years and I know I’m not the only one. Whether you are a medical doctor, a trash collector, a teacher, a secretary, or retired we all struggle with a healthy understanding of our vocations, or lack of vocations. This Sunday at First Church OKC we will continue our series entitled One.Life by examining what the Bible says about our vocations, how we can have a healthy understanding of our jobs, how we should approach retirement and joblessness, and what really defines us. I look forward to seeing you in worship this Sunday morning at 10:45 am at First Church OKC!
Pastor Lesly
Sex.Life
Yes, you read that right. I'm preaching about sex this Sunday. But don't worry. This will be a "P.G." rated sermon. In fact, I suspect parents who have not yet had a talk with their children will want to have their children in church this Sunday. Likewise, older adults, single adults, teenagers, newly married, long-time married, and really everyone needs to explore with us what the Bible has to say about human sexuality. Our culture is so sexualized yet so repressed that we have created an enigma about sex. We want to talk about it, but only in salacious manners. We ignore the deeper issues surrounding sex such as intimacy, love, commitment, and faith. We also ignore the immense value and spirituality of celibacy in singleness and fidelity in marriage.
Jesus was not silent on the issue of marriage, sexuality, and celibacy, but for most of us the only thing we know about these topics are what we've read in magazines, seen in media, or learned by first-hand experience over the years. If we are going to be faithful Christians we must begin to understand the issues surrounding human sexuality. No matter our age, we should be growing in our understanding of this God-given gift of sex.
We hope you will join us this Sunday at First Church OKC as we delve deeper into what Jesus says about sex, how our sexuality is closely tied to our spirituality, and how we are called to live as faithful Christians in a sexualized world. We hope to see you in worship this Sunday at 10:45 am at First Church OKC.
Pastor Lesly
Church.Life
While growing up my family attended one church throughout my entire childhood. In fact, the only other church I ever stepped foot in was another United Methodist Church my grandmother attended in a neighboring town. But throughout my adult life I've been part of numerous churches. I've pastored five different churches, attended five different churches in college and seminary, and attended dozens of churches on Sunday mornings during vacations. I've been around lots of churches. And throughout my years around the Church I've seen it all.
I've seen bad church experiences. I've seen friendship cliques. I've seen weird, annoying people. I've seen quintessentially boring churches. Sometimes I've even been part of creating these types of bad church experiences. Maybe you've had these types of bad church experiences and perhaps, like me, you've also helped create some.
But that's not what God had in mind when God created the Church. God did not create the Church to be an hour Sunday morning service. God did not create the church so that God's servants would spend their entire week gearing up for a one-hour performance. God did create the Church so a pastor can preach for 30 minutes and parishioners sit and quietly listen. God did not create the Church so people can get their itchy ears scratched, or pastors can get their egos fed, or people can gather together but still be disconnected.
God had something totally different in mind when God created the church in Acts 2. Author Scott McKnight characterizes the church in Acts 2 with these words:
Friendship
Teaching the Faith
Common Meals
Spirituality
Worship
Holistic Care for One Another
Integrity
Growth
That's the kind of Church I want to know, to be part of, to give my life for, to lead. I pray First Church is becoming that kind of church. Oh, we have our quirks, like every church. And like every church, we've played our part in creating bad church experiences for some folks. But I think we can take a giant step in our journey as we examine our Church.Life. Join us this Sunday at First Church OKC at 10:45 am as we strive to live out this One.Life in our Church.Life.
Pastor Lesly