Refuge Church Ojai Valley

Darkness is a very real thing in our lives. Every day the sun goes down and every night we have to somehow deal with darkness. Outside of literal light and dark we also have to deal with ways evil and sin have hurt us or how we have hurt ourselves and others. At Christmas, God sends us a solution. He sends us his son prophesied as Light and who self proclaims to be the Light of the World. This light isn’t just a metaphor. He is a reality that comes to comfort us with mercy, expose and deal with sin and evil, and invite us towards a new destination where there will never be darkness. #christmaseve #christmassermon #christmasmessage #ojaivalley

At one point in Jesus’ ministry he declares, “I am the door of the sheep!” The other times Jesus announces who he is He says things like “I am Light,” or “I am the Bread of Life,” or even “I am the Good Shepherd.” But here he says something that feels disconnected to who we are today. However, even just taking a moment to glance deeper into what he is saying reveals how profound this declaration is. If you are hurt, been hurt, or ever hurt someone this declaration is for you. If you want to be known, be healed, and be part of a family this declaration is for you. And if you are bored, feel aimless, not sure why or what your purpose is, this declaration is for you.  

At Christmas Jesus puts on flesh and comes to live life with us. He then spends his entire ministry life inviting us into life with Him!  He is passionate about helping us see exactly what that means. He doesn’t want us to be associates, or buddies or friends rather he wants us to be completely united in knowing his Kingdom and sharing his Kingdom with others.  

One of the quickest ways to rob the Christmas story of its power is to remove it from who Jesus proved and announced Himself to be. Christmas is revolutionary because God decided to put on flesh and live among us. Christmas changes everything because the Jesus who is born is the Bread of Life who offers himself for anyone and everyone who is willing to partake.

How do we live a life of thankfulness in a world that bombards us with difficult things and encourages us to fixate on what is wrong? Join us as we dive into 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 where we learned what it means to live a life of gratitude, focus on the true story and experience true joy.

Join Kyle as he continues in our "God has a Name" series.

In Exodus 34, God tells Moses that he is a God who is abounding in LOVE and FAITHFULNESS. This week, Kyle unpacks why those two attributes about God matter so much as we relate to God and represent him in this world. 

This week we talk all things “anger!” We are continuing our series “God has a Name” where we find ourselves at the place where God reveals that anger is a part of his character. He specifically says he is “Slow to Anger." Is that bad or good? Should it be welcomed or rejected? What does it even mean when it says he is “Slow to anger?”

Join Kyle as he continues in our "God has a Name" series unpacking the leading attribute of God which was given to Moses in Exodus 34; that Yahweh is the COMPASSIONATE and GRACIOUS God. 

Guest speaker, Pastor Mike Hickerson from Mission Church in Ventura, delivers a sermon on the theme of hope and God's rescue. He emphasizes that no one is perfect, but everyone is welcome in God's kingdom. Using the story of a woman in the Bible, he illustrates the cycle of hope, change, and faith. He provides practical tools for becoming "hope dealers," encouraging listeners to have faith in God's ability to transform their lives and to share hope with others.