Refuge Church Ojai Valley

Boot Camp: The Power of Water and Wafer

Living into a new mindset or a new identity sounds easy, especially when something miraculous happens, but thats not always or almost is never the case. Old habits die hard and even when it sounds or looks ridiculous it can be easy for us to revert back to the old ways. So where is the hope? If we want to trust God or live differently how do we take on a new identity? Thankfully, since the beginning, God has been inviting us into a way of living and trusting that reshapes our mind and our ability to leave the old ways behind. #transformation #faith #trust #Jesus #yahweh #exodus #sermons

Bootcamp: "Gift in the Wilderness"

When we come upon moments like Easter or the Exodus it can be easy to celebrate them, but then wonder what it actually means for us. Sure it's an amazing moment, but does that moment change me for a lifetime or just give me a few good moments or days? Throughout God’s story, He is always inviting us into real life change, not just the celebration of a holiday. In this message we kick off our new series Bootcamp, where we look closely at how God invites us into a unique way of truly trusting Him. #faith #christianlife #God #sermons #walkingwithgod #yahweh 

Easter Sunday- "Hope is Not a Myth"

Easter changed the world against all circumstances. No one thought a message from an obscure man from a tiny town called Nazareth would ultimately mean anything. But then resurrection happened. Skeptics now beleived, enemies were convinced, Jews trusted in him, and foreigners were now willing to give their life for him. When hope becomes real it changes everything and that is why at Easter everyone is invited to celebrate. #easter #resurrection #hope #grace #forgiveness #Jesus #holyweek #sermons

Hope Rises: The Best Hope Calls Out False Hope

For some reason it has become unkind in our world to point out when something is incorrect or untrue. In our world if soemone sincererely believes something, even its its false or foolish, the culutre says to let them keep believing it. During Jesus ministry he never shied away from pointing out the lies and inconsistencies of his world. During one specific week he was hailed a king and messiah on Monday and then after pointing out lies, inconsistencies, and falsehoods, was killed on Friday. What does his message then mean for us today? As Christians should we just go along with the culture or is there hope in Jesus’s message? 

Hope Rises: "I Am Not Alone"

In the Bible there are several times where Jesus uses “I Am” statements to tell anyone who is listening exactly who he is and what his mission is about. In the midst of that there are also three specific statements when he says “I am not.” These aren’t as famous as the others, but still just as profound. This week we start by looking at what it means for Jesus, His Kingdom, and for us when he says “I am not alone.” #ojai #sermons #healing #hope #Jesus

God of the Cross: "Demolishing Strongholds"

Chances are there are things you do that you wish you didn’t. Things that come up in your life that almost daily you wish would go away or you could stop feeling controlled by. The Bible calls these things strongholds and gives us a way to know freedom from them. Join us this week as we discover the power available to us to demolish strongholds. #strongholds #recovery #sermons #healing #healingjourney

Finding Freedom from Our Vows

No matter who we are and where we come from it's likely we have made vows in our lives to try and gain control in our lives or insulate us from pain. Often, its those vows that keep us from fully giving our lives to God. When Jesus comes he exposes our vows and shows us how only he can heal our pain and only he can save us from our need to control.  

Our Story

We live in a world where we wait to be used by God because we are terrified we don't have all the answers. If we are being honest we don't see a world where God wants anything to do with us in the first place. Today we will take a look at how God takes our mess and turns into our message. Our sermon today comes from our guest speaker, Conor Le Blanc from Real Life Church in Valencia. #sermons #hope #redemption #churchplanting 

God of the Cross - "Conquering Lies"

It all started with the Lie. When Adam and Eve bought into Satan’s lie it started a cycle to our world and our lives where deceit assults us and invites us day after day. Thankfully, God did not watch this without acting. From that first lie, He put a plan into motion that would eventually expose and conquer all lies. This week we look closely at his invitation to each one of us to join him in fighting, exposing, and conquering lies. #healing #sermons #doyouwantobehealed #lies #conqueringlies

God of the Cross- "Do You Want to be Healed?"

This week, we launched a brand new series called "God of the Cross". There isn’t a person who has ever lived who hasn’t been wounded or hurt. Wounds are are a reality in our world, but they aren’t something we talk about in church much. Why? This week we will talk about our reluctance to name our wounds and will look at Jesus and see how he exposes, addresses, and heals our wounds. #healing #sermons