Getting Ready for Sunday, April 6, 2008

April 6 Sermon “The Time Thief”

Everyone gets the same amount of time each day, so why is it that some seem to have more than others. The answer is some understand how to guard against the things that steal our time. In today’s message, we will discover that our weakness has the potential of controlling our thoughts and ultimately wasting our time.   

Set List for April 6, 2008

Song                              Author                        Recording

Come Now Is the Time       to Worship	Brian Doerksen	“The Worship Collection” Phillips, Craig, & Dean
All We Need Is You	Charlie Hall	“Flying Into Daybreak” Charlie Hall
Free	Todd Fields	“Free”                               Todd Fields
Mighty To Save	Ben Fielding                 Reuben Morgan	“Mighty to Save”          Hillsong Live
Without You	Doug Mickan	Soundclick.com           Doug & Cindy Mickan
Be Glorified	Chris Tomlin Jesse Reeves Lawrence Tuttiett Louie Giglio Matt Redman	“The Noise We Make”  Chris Tomlin

    I’m really looking forward to another Sunday at Oasis.  We’ve been having some great times of worship together, and hope you look forward to each Sunday as much as I do.  This week Bro. Todd will be talking about the weaknesses in our lives that tend to take up our most valuable resource: time.  

      We’ll open up Sunday with “Come Now Is the Time to Worship” which is a call to lift our voices and focus on our Savior.  There are a lot of lines in this song that I really like.  “Come just as you are to worship”….God doesn’t ask us to change before we come to Him.  He simply says “come just as you are”, and the changes come as we spend more time with Him.  I also like the part that says, “One day every tongue will confess you are God, one day every knee will bow, still the greatest treasure remains for those who gladly choose you now”.  One day every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that He is Lord, but I choose now (I stole that last little part from an Anthony Evans song) Let’s make it our choice to come together and say “now is the time to worship”.  You can listen to a version of the song by clicking the link in the chart above.                                                         If you really pay close attention to the words of “All We Need”, it could be one of the toughest songs we sing.  Not because of anything musically, but because of the weight of commitment that comes with the lyrics.  Think about it. “Rich or poor God I want you more than anything that glitters in this world.  Be my all consuming fire.  You can have all my hands can hold.  My heart, mind, strength, and soul be my all consuming fire”.  Can I truly say that all I need is Jesus?  Do I truly want Him more than anything else?  Wow; Pretty heavy stuff for an upbeat song.  Read through those lyrics a few times this week, and ask God to help you truly mean the words you sing.  You can watch a video of Charlie Hall performing this at one of the Passion Conferences by clicking the link in the chart above. 

     After the welcome we will begin focusing on God’s power to free us from the weaknesses we face.  I couldn’t find a copy of “Free” anywhere on the internet to listen to. (that is without paying for it.  Pretty ironic that the song “free” is not. Ha!)  It’s an awesome song so take time to look at the lyrics this week by clicking the link in the chart above.  We will also be singing “Mighty to Save” which is another statement of God’s power over sin.  It’s also a song of Surrender for all of us. The second verse says “So take me as you find me, all my fears and failures.  Fill my life again.  I give my life to follow everything I believe in.  Now I surrender”.  What better way to worship than to surrender our all to Christ.  Click the link in the chart above to listen to “Mighty to Save”. 

     We’ll finish up the music portion of the service with “Without You” which is a declaration of our dependence on Christ.  We truly are nothing without Christ, yet we so often forget it.  Listen to a live version of “Without You” by clicking the link in the chart above.

     At the close of services we will be telling God that we want to glorify Him with our lives.  “Be Glorified” is a song of celebration.  We celebrate because of what Christ has done for us, and because of that, we want to glorify Him with the very life that He has given.  You can listen to Matt Redman’s(I think) version of the song by clicking the link above.  The video is a little strange, but the recording of the song is great.

     Thanks for taking time to check out what will be happening on Sunday.  Be sure to pass the word along about our blog.  I truly believe that as we are more prepared to worship on Sunday’s we will be more aware of God working in our lives, as well as our times together on Sunday.  I look forward to worshiping with you on Sunday.   

Bro. Doug

Getting Ready for Sunday, March 30, 2008

March 30 Sermon “Expanding Your Lifespan”

Without realizing it, many of us live as though life is over after we die physically. When we have that perspective on life, we rush to get everything into our expected life span. How would it change your perspective of life if you knew that you would never die?  Today, we will learn that God has made us to live forever and how that should shape the way we live our days here on earth. 

Set List for March 30, 2008

Song                              Author                        Recording

When We All Get to Heaven	Eliza Edmunds Stites Hewitt Emily D. Wilson	Traditional Hymn
Song of Praise	Doug & Cindy Mickan	“Prelude”                         Doug & Cindy Mickan
Forever	Chris Tomlin	“The Noise We Make” Chris Tomlin
Everlasting God	Ken Riley	“See the Morning”        Chris Tomlin
You Never Let Go	Matt Redman & Martin Smith	“Beautiful News”            Matt Redman
Because He Lives	Bill & Gloria Gaither	Traditional Hymn
I’ll Fly Away	Albert E. Brumley	Traditional Hymn

      

     What an awesome day we had Sunday!  We had a great time at both campuses, and between the two we had 230 which is outstanding.  I’m really looking forward to our new series which begins this Sunday and is entitled “Simplifying Your Schedule”.  Everyone get your toes ready because this one’s going to hurt.  This week’s sermon deals with how eternity should change our perspective of life.  It’s my hope that the music this week will draw our attention to the Eternal God; causing us to worship Him freely.

     We’ll start off this week with “When We All Get To Heaven”.  I remember when I was a kid growing up in church that this was my favorite song to be sung during services.  Our people always seemed so lively and full of joy.  What an awesome day it will be when we all get to heaven and worship like we can’t even imagine.  The good news is that we don’t have to wait until we get there to rejoice.  We can lift our voices in praise, knowing that God has promised us life everlasting with Him in a place that will not allow us to even remember the heartaches of life on earth.

     “Song of Praise” is one of my favorite songs that we do at Oasis (and not just because we wrote it)  Honestly I can’t really take credit for the lyrics as they come directly from the pen of David in Psalm 63.  “Because your love is better than life, My lips will glorify you.”(Psalm 63:3)  This is a great song to testify about our God, so let’s shout it out with a song of praise.  You can listen to “Song of Praise” on our soundclick page by clicking the link in the chart above.

    “Everlasting God” brings us back to the point we are trying to emphasis on Sunday.   “Have you not known? Have you not heard? The everlasting God, the Lord The Creator of the ends of the earth neither faints nor is weary. His understanding is unsearchable.  He gives power to the weak and to Those who have no might he increases strength.”  Our God is an everlasting God that wants us to be with Him for eternity.  The truly comforting thing to me is that the Bible clearly tells us that we can never be taken from the palm of His hand which brings us to “You Never Let Go”.  No matter what we are facing, and no matter how difficult things seem, Our God will never let go of one of His children.  Take a listen to “Everlasting God” and “You Never Let Go” by clicking the links in the chart above.

     We’ll finish the music portion of the service with the chorus of a  familiar hymn entitled “Because He Lives”.  “Because He lives I can face tomorrow.  Because He lives all fear is gone.   Because I know He holds the future.  And life is worth the living just because He lives”  This song reminds us that we can face whatever life may throw our way because we know our God is in control. 

     Our final song that we will sing together will be at the close of services.  “I’ll Fly Away” was the first song I remember singing as a special when I was a kid.  I have to say that it’s still one of my favorites!  Most of you probably don’t know this about me but I really like Southern Gospel Music. (I’ll pause while you laugh hysterically)  Seriously, it was one of my dreams as a child to sing in a Southern Gospel Quartet, specifically the tenor part! (Are you picturing me in one of those matching suits with 3 other guys?)     I don’t use the Southern Gospel style a lot, but really enjoy breaking it out every now and then.  Let’s really take it home Sunday as we finish up with this exciting song that celebrates the fact that our lives are not over when they end on this earth. 

     Keeping our lives in perspective with eternity should really change the way we live.  I believe it can also change the way we worship. Let’s celebrate this week, and lift our voices together to sing praises to the God that created us to last forever.   See you Sunday!

 Bro. Doug

Getting Ready for Easter Sunday March 23, 2008

March 23 Sermon “The Definition of A Good Life” Recently, I saw a hat and tee-shirt that was really cool in a store where I was shopping. It said, “Life is good”, but for millions today life is not good. As a matter of fact most people you meet are searching for a better life. It seems to me we need to define “a good life” before we can every began to search for it. Today in Acts 13:36 we will discover God’s definition of a good life.

Set List for March 23, 2008

Song                              Author                        Recording

Jesus Paid It All	Elvina M. Hall                  Alex Nifong	“Everything Glorious” Passion
All Because of Jesus	Steve Fee	“We Shine”                        Fee
He Lives	Alfred Henry Ackley	Traditional Hymn
Salvation Is Here	Joel Houston	“Look To You”             Hillsong United
The Least I Can Do	Mark Roach	“Every Reason Why”    Mark Roach
O Happy Day	Tim Hughes	“Holding Nothing Back”  Tim Hughes

It’s Easter Sunday, and we are really looking forward to a huge day at Oasis.  Have you invited anyone yet?  I know I have several people that I plan on inviting in the next day or two.  Our music this week is a celebration of our Risen Savior.

“Jesus Paid It All” is an awesome hymn that was revived in contemporary settings after a small phrase was added in 2006.  “O praise the one who paid my debt, and raised this life up from the dead”.  That small phrase really hammers home the message of the rest of the song.  When I was younger I remember singing “Jesus Paid It All” as a slow dreary invitation, but it’s actually such a great song of worship.  We owe Christ everything because He paid our debt of sin which we could never repay.  When we open services with this Sunday, let’s sing out with a voice of praise. You can check out Kristian Stanfill leading this song at a Passion Conference by clicking the link in the chart above.

“All Because of Jesus” is a song that you are probably well acquainted with by now.  Our lives would be worthless had it not been for Jesus.  For those who have accepted Christ as their Savior, this is just a reminder that every breath that we breathe is given by God.  I truly expect the rafters to shake (ceiling tiles in Conway) when we raise our voices together.  SING IT LOUD!  If you truly mean what you sing, and really think about what you are saying, how can we not let it out with a shout?  Check out Steve Fee leading this song by clicking the link above.

“You ask me how I know He lives?  He lives within my heart”!  It’s no accident that we flow from “He Lives” right into “Salvation Is Here”.  I love being able to mesh hymns and contemporary songs of praise with the same message. Just as the line above states, we know that Christ is alive, because He lives in us. We are praying that we will have many non-believers in our congregation on Sunday.  Keep in mind that those sitting next to you may not be saved.  As we sing these two songs, let’s make it our testimony that we know Christ lives.  Let’s also make it our prayer that God would reveal Himself to the lost in our service, so that they would soon be able to celebrate with us.

I tried to talk myself out of the song “The Least I Can Do”.  Why?  It’s a new song that probably nobody in our congregation has ever heard before.  It’s an awesome song, but my original thought was, “I don’t want to try anything new with us expecting so many visitors”.  The funny thing is, it’s that very point that ended up putting me at ease to use the song.  What?  Seriously!  Here’s my thought:  We’ll be singing a lot of familiar songs that are familiar to our members, but not necessarily to those who will be visiting (especially those who haven’t gone to church in a while, or ever).  Would it maybe make them feel not so much like an outsider if they were learning a song that even those who attended regularly where unfamiliar with?  Crazy?  Maybe, but for right now I’m running with it.  In all seriousness, I  feel like this is a song that God wanted included in this service.  I simply couldn’t get it out of my head the entire time I was planning the service, and everything else that I tried to put in it’s place just didn’t seem to fit.  You can get a head start on learning “The Least I Can Do” by clicking the link in the chart above.

We’ll close out services with “O Happy Day”.  We are praying for the biggest attendance we have ever had at Oasis Church.  Not just so we can have a huge crowd, but because we truly want to reach those who do not normally attend church.  When I sing “O Happy Day”, I think back to when I was ten years old and accepted Christ as my Savior.  It’s my prayer that we would have many that would be saved on Sunday, and when they sing “O Happy Day” they would always remember March 23, 2008. 

Can you tell I’m excited about Sunday?  Let’s all get busy inviting, and expect a big day at Oasis.  Thanks for taking time to check out what will be happening on Sunday.  Take time to pray for our services, and those who will be serving in them.  Let’s come together and celebrate louder and more passionately than we ever have before.   See you Sunday!

 Bro. Doug

Getting Ready for Sunday, March 16, 2008

March 16 Sermon “Did You Say Something?”How well do you listen to those in your life? Listening is more than just hearing, it is understanding how a person really feels. Listening carefully communicates to others that they are valuable. In this message, we will see what the Bible says about listening and also discover some ways to improve our listening skills. 

Set List for March 16, 2008

Song                              Author                        Recording

Our Love Is Loud	David Crowder	“Can You Hear Us”David Crowder Band
How Can I Keep From Singing	Chris Tomlin, Ed Cash, Matt Redman	“See the Morning”Chris Tomlin
Song of Praise	Doug & Cindy Mickan	“Prelude”Doug & Cindy Mickan
Open Our Eyes Lord	Bob Cull	“WOW Worship”The Platinum Collection
In the Secret	Andy Park	“Sonic Flood”Sonic Flood
Be Still	Doug & Cindy Mickan	“Let It Be Clear”Doug & Cindy Mickan
When I Think About the Lord	James Huey	“Carry Away”Shane & Shane

     This Sunday we will finish up our series on “Relationships 101”.  John Herring will be preaching today, and he will be talking about a topic that I personally struggle with a lot: listening.  In the worship info for my team members this week, I made the statement that often when I should be listening, I’m actually thinking of what I’m going to say next.  Not only does this struggle interfere in my relationships with others, it also hampers my relationship with Christ.  This week through the music I want to focus on our listening to God.

     We’ll actually start out the services with some songs that allow us to be loud, and proclaim our love for Christ.  “Our Love Is Loud” is one of my all time favorite songs.  We do it pretty often at Oasis, but in case you would like to refresh your memory, check the link in the chart above.  Let’s lift our voices and shout it out as we sing “We Love You Lord”. 

     “How Can I Keep From Singing” is a song by Chris Tomlin that we have used a few times before.  My favorite part of this song is during the bridge.  It doesn’t matter what I’m going through, I can still sing the praises of my God and King.  Take a listen to the song by clicking the link in the chart above.

     “Song of Praise” is another Doug & Cindy song.  This was one of the first “worship” songs that I ever attempted to write.  It was an extremely nerve wracking event when I introduced it the first time, but it seemed to catch on well.  It really means a lot that there are several of our people that have told me it is one of their favorites.  This song comes directly from Psalm 63

“God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you, in a dry and weary land where there is no water.  I have seen you in the sanctuary and beheld your power and your glory.  Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you.  i will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands.”  What an awesome Psalm of praise from David.  You can listen to “Song of Praise” on our soundclick page by clicking the link in the chart above.

     The last half of our music is more reflective and quiet.  It’s my hope that even though we will be singing, we we also take time to simply listen to what God is saying to us through the songs.  “Open Our Eyes Lord”, “In the Secret”, and “Be Still” all deal with us seeking God.  It should be our prayer every day that God would open our eyes so that we can see Him at work in our lives.  We should try to seek Him every day in those quiet places where we can be alone with Him.  When we recorded “Be Still” on our first CD, I specifically wanted it at the end.  After all of our songs of praise we end with the statement, “but for now I will be still”.  That pretty much sums up what I’m trying to accomplish through the music on Sunday.  There is a time to pray, sing, cry, laugh, & dance for our Lord; but at some point there always needs to be a time when we can simply be still and listen for His voice.  You can listen to ”Be Still” on our CD Baby page by clicking the link in the chart above.  “Be Still” is the final song listed for the album.

      Thanks for taking time to check out our blog and prepare for worship on Sunday.  Thanks for all the encouraging comments that you continue to leave every week.  I truly look forward to worshiping with you on Sunday.

Bro. Doug

    

Getting Ready for Sunday, March 9, 2007

 

March 9 Sermon “The Little Beast”  Words are powerful. God said in the Book of James that the tongue is small, but it can be a beast. In this message, we will discover how to make our tongue a friend in our relationships instead of our enemy.

     Hey everyone!  There will not be any song info this week for worship services on March 9th.  I will be out of town on Sunday as we will be attending a wedding in Missouri the night before.  I’ll try not to shed a tear as I watch my little girl walk down the aisle………as a junior bride of course.  I’m excited to let you know that Dustin Dennie will lead worship at the Maumelle Campus, and John & Christina Anderson will lead worship at the Conway Campus this week.  It’s such a blessing to have people from our own worship team that can step up and lead out in worship.  In fact after Dustin, John, & Christina lead worship on the 9th, you’ll probably be trying to send me out of town more often.  Be sure to pray for all the worship team members that will be serving on Sunday morning. 

     Thanks for checking in to see how you can better prepare yourself for worship on Sunday.  Check back again next week for information to help you prepare for March 16th. 

Doug