Refuge Church Ojai Valley

What happens when we finally stop pretending?
Sin has a way of convincing us that we're fine. Sometimes we hide behind our goodness. Sometimes we get stuck in the same patterns we can't seem to escape. Sometimes we say we need Jesus while quietly building a life that doesn't actually need Him.
But eventually, we have to come face-to-face with the truth: Woe is me. Not because there is no hope—but because there is.
As we close Savior vs. Sin, we're getting to the heart of the Gospel: what happens when we stop trying to save ourselves and let Jesus do what only He can do? The cure isn't becoming better at pretending. The cure is Jesus.

What are you trusting to hold you up when life gets hard? We all put our trust somewhere. In our own strength. In other people. In what the world promises us. In the things we think will finally make us feel secure. But Scripture gives us a different picture: a tree planted by water, with roots reaching toward something deeper—even when the heat comes and the drought lasts longer than we expected. This week, we continue Savior vs. Sin by asking a simple but searching question: Where are your roots? Because what’s happening beneath the surface of our lives matters more than we realize. The things we trust, the things we cling to, and the places we look for life can shape us in ways we may not even see. #SaviorVsSin #RefugeChurch #Jesus #Gospel #Grace #FreedomInChrist

What if the hardest person to be honest with… is yourself? Sin doesn’t always look like rebellion. Sometimes it looks like justification. Blaming someone else. Minimizing what we’ve done. Pointing to all the good things we do so we don’t have to face the thing we know isn’t right. We can know the truth and still find ways not to know it.
But what if we didn’t have to hide? The cross gives us the courage to be honest about our sin—not because we’re good enough, but because Jesus already paid for the ways we aren’t.
This week in Savior vs. Sin, we’ll explore the subtle ways self-deception keeps us stuck and the freedom that comes when we finally bring what we’ve been hiding into the light.
You don't have to pretend you're enough when Jesus already is.
#SaviorVsSin #RefugeChurch #Jesus #Gospel #Grace #FreedomInChrist

We spend a lot of time treating symptoms. Fear. Anger. Division. Anxiety. Addiction. Broken relationships. But what if there's something deeper beneath it all? This week we begin a new series, Savior vs. Sin, as we explore what the Bible says about sin—not as an outdated idea, but as a real enemy that quietly shapes our lives and keeps us from the freedom God desires for us. The good news? The story doesn't end there. The same God who warns us about the predator is the God who pursues us with grace, meets us in our brokenness, and invites us into a life of freedom. Join us as we discover where real hope begins. #SaviorvsSin #RefugeChurch #Grace #Freedom #InOjaiAsItIsInHeaven

As It Happened | The Story of Ruth and So Much MoreHave you ever looked back on something in your life and realized that what felt like an accident might have been something more? A moment. A meeting. A door that opened. A place you just happened to be. Ruth found herself in a field that belonged to Boaz. As it happened. But what looked ordinary was part of a story much bigger than Ruth could see. This week, are looking at the story of Ruth—a story of loss and redemption, of ordinary people being woven into God's extraordinary plan. Because maybe God is doing more in your story than you can see right now. As it happened… and so much more.
#RefugeChurch #Worship #GodsWord #Communion #InOjaiAsItIsInHeaven

If you've ever opened Scripture and thought, “I have no idea what I'm reading right now,” you're not alone.
The Bible is a big story—and sometimes it can feel overwhelming to know where you fit into it. But what if we stepped back and saw the whole picture? From creation and the fall, through the story of Israel, all the way to Jesus, the Church, and the promise of a new creation, Scripture is telling one unified story.
And it all points to Him.
This week, we continue Did God Really Say? and explore how to approach God's Word with confidence, clarity, and a fresh perspective—learning not just to read the Bible, but to understand what it means for our lives today.
#DidGodReallySay #RefugeChurch #GodsWord #TheBible #InOjaiAsItIsInHeaven

From the very beginning, the enemy has planted the same question in our hearts: "Did God really say?" It's a question that still shapes the way we think, live, and follow Jesus today.
This week, our Associate Pastor, Derry Brooks, begins a new series exploring the Bible—not just as an ancient book, but as the living Word of God. Together, we'll discover why Scripture can be trusted, why it still speaks today, and how God's truth transforms every part of our lives.
Join us as we learn to recognize His voice above all the others.
 
#sermons #bible #truth #temptation #lies

What do you do when God shows mercy to someone you wouldn’t? As we close Modern Day Jonah, we arrive at one of the most surprising endings in Scripture — not a story about a city changed, but a prophet confronted by the mercy of God. Because God is always in the pursuit business. Always in the mercy business. Always in the renewal business. The hard question isn’t whether God will show mercy. The question is whether we’ll receive it… and extend it. What if the places God is calling you, the people around you, and even the parts of your own story you’d rather avoid… are actually where He wants to bring healing? Join us as we close the series and consider the question God asks Jonah: “Do you do well to be angry?”

What if your rescue was only the beginning? Jonah’s story could have ended with grace in the fish. Instead, God spoke again: “The word of the Lord came to Jonah a second time…”
This week we look at the God who rescues, restores, and sends.
Because the Gospel was never meant to stop with us. Your past doesn’t disqualify you. Your failures don’t remove your calling. We never outgrow our need for grace — we simply learn to carry it into more places. You are rescued to be a rescuer. Join us as we continue Modern Day Jonah.
 
#sermons #church #onlinechurch #jonahstory

Have you ever felt completely qualified one moment… and completely unqualified the next? Jonah knew what it meant to hear God’s voice. He also knew what it meant to run from it. This week we continue our "Modern Day Jonah" series and step into one of the most honest moments in Scripture — the place where Jonah finally stops running, finds himself with nowhere left to look, and remembers the Lord. What happens when we find ourselves stuck? When our plans fail? When we realize we can’t rescue ourselves? Jonah discovers something we all need to hear: grace isn’t something we earn, negotiate, or deserve. It’s a gift. Join us as we explore what it means to stop striving, look toward the cross, and discover that salvation belongs to the Lord. Listen. Look. Then live.