Orchard Community Church
We are called to build a firm foundation for our life and faith on Jesus so that we can weather the shaking of the storms of life that will inevitably come.
Shaken
People derive security from a lot of different things in this life. Yet, from time to time things happen that shake us and reminds us of how unstable most of those things are. We know what it’s like to be shaken by a health scare, a financial struggle, a pandemic, or some other challenge. Sometimes our world is literally shaken by earthquakes and at times God even shakes us with what He’s doing or in order to get our attention. The truth is that can be shaken will be shaken at some point, and for that reason, scripture calls us to cling to what cannot be shaken, to Jesus our rock and foundation, and to God and things of God. So what can we do in this season of Lent to cling more tightly to Jesus and to build our foundation on Him?
Have you ever been shaken by life?
Lent is a time of preparation for Easter but also about renewal. It’s a chance to get back on track with God if we need to, or simply to grow our faith as we get ready for Easter.
This morning we will focus on how to be ready when bad things happen that may shake us.
Luke 6:46-49 NIV
The emphasis in Matthew is on where to build your life, on the rock (Jesus) but in Luke, the focus is on how you build your life once you’ve found the right place.
To call someone “Lord” showed respect and allegiance to them, but to repeat it like that put a real emphasis on that respect and allegiance. Here in Luke Jesus is talking specifically to those who already call Jesus their Lord, who’ve already chosen to build their lives on him.
Jesus’ words should make us uncomfortable. They should make us uncomfortable about all the ways we fail to do what Jesus said. Because we’ve each got a list and it’s not good. And Jesus’ words should also make us uncomfortable about how, when we don’t do what he has said, we may at times be the kind of hypocritical Christians that turn other people off to Jesus.
Jesus is saying that it’s not enough to simply find the right place to build, we also have to do the work of building a foundation on Him.
Jesus says that the most important part of building a solid foundation is being obedient to his word. And if you think about it that makes sense since all of those other things are part of being obedient.
We should be clear that the storm is not a problem the man created, it’s just one of the trials of life, one of those bad things that sometimes happen that shakes us. The promise is not that faith will make us immune to bad things happening.
Having a firm foundation of faith built on him will give us the strength to endure any storm! But that also means building a foundation on Jesus before the shaking starts.
We’re called to cling to and build our foundation on Jesus, our unaskable Rock. Because everything else is truly shaky; money can be lost, politics change, power fades, people die- it’s all shaky.
1 Corinthians 3:11 NIV
With a strong foundation, our faith won’t be shaken and that’s the thing that will carry us through anything that happens to us in this life.
Obedience is often hard. It’s not easy to do many of the things Jesus calls us to and sometimes we just don’t want to.
Doing what Jesus calls us to often costs us something, time or effort, and it can mean giving up things we desire, and a lot of times we just want what we want more than we want God.
We don’t think of the future, of what may happen, and of how obedience shapes us into the person God is calling us to be and disobedience shapes us into something else.
What we don’t realize is that the reason faith hasn’t made much of a difference in our lives is that we’ve never fully owed it or tried to live it and so we never really opened ourselves up to its true power to change and shape us.
Jesus said that the storms of life will come for sure.
The storm of life that shakes us sometimes pushes our faith one way or another, causing us to grow stronger or to doubt. But a lot of time what they actually do is expose the foundation of our faith.
Will we choose to listen to Jesus and live the way he calls us to, we will choose obedience?
What might you need to give up for Lent, but also what might you need to add? What would it look like for you to more fully live into the way Jesus calls us to, into obedience to him, and so build or strengthen your foundation of faith on him?
Jesus never turns his back on us. So, if you’re in the midst of a hard time and you’re struggling and you realize that one of the reasons is that you haven’t built that foundation, don’t let that stop you from reaching out and trusting Jesus.
In the end, it doesn’t matter how you get there, only that you get there, into Jesus' open arms.
Today's Music
Orchard's Streaming and Song Select CCLI# 160190
Worship Options
We are excited to be able to worship under the Tent together. If you are not wanting to be under the Tent, feel free to sit in the front row of parking spots of the Orchard Parking Lot your car and tune your radio to 100.1 FM to listen to the service.
1. Masks must be worn while on the Orchard Campus (both inside and out)
2. Please maintain the Social Distance
3. Sunday Morning Children's program. Children are always welcome in the service and we do not mind the noises that come with children. Children are a healthy sign of a healthy congregation.
Orchard Kids Sunday School (For preschool through 5th grade)
We encourage families to bring your own blanket and beach chairs and distance on the lawn as much as you like. Children will worship with their families and be dismissed following the kids’ message, escorted by our Orchard Kids’ Leaders to our beautiful outdoor classroom space in the children’s play yard. We will have our Bible story, activities, crafts, and games in a specially designed format following current health and safety guidelines. Parents, please come to the children’s area immediately following the worship service and find all of your children in one place. Each family will receive a “My Church Bag” to be brought each week with basic supplies already included plus items from home: water bottle and mask for each child and a blanket for all siblings. Our team is so excited to see your family! See you Sunday!
Nursery care for children birth to 3 years old is available by RSVP only to Melinda Hoyt at melinda@orchardventura.org.
Interested in being a Volunteer? Middle school through adult, please contact Melinda Hoyt at melinda@orchardventura.org.
While we understand that some may not feel comfortable coming back in person or having to wear masks while on the Orchard campus, we encourage you to stay home and join us online with our Live Stream.
Office Hours
Monday – Thursdays from 10 am to noon.
Masks and social distancing are required.
If you are unable to make it in during our office hours, please send an email to info@orchardventura.org and or leave a message at (805) 647-3757.