From the beginning, laws have been an important part of society. Throughout time, laws have existed to protect people, yet history also displays the power the law has to effectuate injustice and oppression. The parasite that is sin has corrupted the purpose and power of laws, even since Biblical times. So if we can’t rely on the laws of this world …

The Gospel tells us all have fallen short of the glory of God and, because of our sin, deserve death. Yet it doesn't end there. In Jesus, God has given us the gift of eternal life - a brand-new life that starts today! But...can it really be that easy? Maybe today you feel stuck in your old way of life, your old habits, struggles, and vices. If that…

Whether in conversation, on the news, or plastered across our newsfeeds, "freedom" is a hot topic these days. There are countless opinions on what true freedom is and how it should look today. And, just as people are talking about freedom, they're talking about slavery - a word with deep pain packed into it. But maybe the reason these buzzwords run…

We all see the constant conflict in our world, but did you know there’s a spiritual battle happening as well? There is a struggle between who controls our hearts, whether our sinful, fleshly desires or God's Holy Spirit. But here's the good news: If you've placed your faith in Christ, we know who wins this war! Join us as we continue our series, Ne…

According to Scripture, baptism is an important step of obedience after you've accepted Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior. At Woodside, when someone is baptized, we have the opportunity to hear their testimony of faith. Have you ever wondered why? Join us as we continue our series, New-ish?: Everything's Changed. Have You?, to discover …

Who is your representative? Despite your first thought, we aren’t asking about your favorite government official. Reality is, just as we're represented politically in this nation, all people are also represented spiritually by one of two individuals. Wondering who? Join us as we continue our series, New-ish?: Everything's Changed. Have You?, to dis…

Are you a good person or a bad person? That’s a hard question to answer without some kind of twist in your stomach. Today we begin our new series, New-ish?: Everything's Changed. Have You?, with a big claim: God only saves bad people. Join us as we venture through Romans 5:1-11 to uncover the truth about God's salvation. Over the next seven weeks, …

Over the last five weeks, we’ve examined five different places our culture tells us to look for fulfillment in this world. Like the writer, we hope to leave a lasting mark, enjoy the best this life has to offer, and accumulate the greatest knowledge and possessions we can in our lifetime – and we find ourselves forever hungry for MORE. Today, at th…

If you only had _________ life would be so much better, right? In a culture flooded with newer, better versions of everything we already have, we've all fallen victim to the desire for "just a little more." Today we continue our message series, Smoke & Mirrors: Deciphering Truth in a World of "truths," by looking to the book of Ecclesiastes, where …

Goal completed! Yes! So...now what? Whether our ambitions are big or small, we've all felt how quickly the "runner's high" of our successes slip away. It begs the question, why don’t the accomplishments of this world ultimately satisfy us? Today we continue our message series, Smoke & Mirrors: Deciphering Truth in a World of "truths," by looking to…

Have you ever fallen victim to FOMO (fear of missing out)? Since the dawn of social media, this fear has become increasingly prevalent in our society. We are bombarded with everyone else’s experiences, successes, and opportunities, leaving us with a deep desire for more and more! But when the pleasure and joy of a moment subsides, what are we left …

We live in a society of information overload! If you don’t know something, you google it. Resources are endless. Yet we find that, more often than not, more knowledge leads to even more questions. And we find ourselves frustrated when we can’t get the answer we want RIGHT NOW. Today we continue our message series, Smoke & Mirrors: Deciphering Truth…

Have you ever felt like you're just going through the motions of life? Like you’ve lost sight of your purpose in this world? Today we begin our brand new message series, Smoke & Mirrors: Deciphering Truth in a World of "truths", by turning to the wisdom in Ecclesiastes. Through this book, the author unmasks the myths of human autonomy and self-suff…

The Well That Never Runs Dry - Praying scripture: Psalms 141:1-10Oleh Woodside Bible Church Pontiac

You Must Lose Your Life To Save It- Mark 8:34-38Oleh Woodside Bible Church Pontiac

Have you ever wondered if God is still control when walking through a season of grief, pain, or suffering? Today we continue our message series - Good Mourning: Taking Your Sorrow to the Savior - by turning to chapter 5 of Lamentations, where we’re invited to turn our gaze from the rubble of our brokenness to the Redeemer of every hurt. The poet's …

Don't you love a good rags-to-riches story? Certainly no one likes to see the opposite: beauty descending into ruin. Today we continue our message series - Good Mourning: Taking Your Sorrow to the Savior - by examining what happens to people when they deny God. As we begin chapter 4 of Lamentations, the writer gives us a glimpse of the streets of J…

We live in a world full of hurting people who hurt people. Today we continue our message series - Good Mourning: Taking Your Sorrow to the Savior - by learning to cry out to God in the face of injustice. As we turn to Lamentations chapter 3, we'll talk about remembering the heart of God and learn to have hope as we wait on His justice! Listen with …

Do you know what it feels like to lose hope? To believe you'll never make it out of the darkness, the brokenness, the pain? In life, we all experience these "end of your rope" moments. The question is, where do we go from there? Today we continue our newest message series - Good Mourning: Taking Our Sorrows to the Savior - an exploration of an ofte…

Often when we talk about God we focus only on His love, mercy, and grace; forgetting that God is also holy and righteous - traits that cause Him to exercise judgment over sin. Today we continue our series - Good Mourning: Taking Your Sorrow to the Savior - by examining what the often forgotten Old Testament book of Lamentations has to teach us abou…

After a year filled with so much loss - whether of your livelihood, your relationships, or even your loved ones - we're all grieving. The question is whether there's a way for us to mourn in a matter that moves us toward growth, hope, and refreshment. Today we start our newest message series - Good Mourning: Taking Our Sorrows to the Savior - where…

Join us as Senior Pastor Chris Brooks delivers a passionate message God has placed on his heart about grace and reconciliation! Collectively as one church, we'll explore Paul’s letter to Ephesus as he teaches how we have been reconciled in Christ. Listen with us to this special message, Better Together, as we see how grace reconciles us first to Go…

The goal of every Christian is to grow in the likeness of Jesus Christ, including in how we give! So, how do we become more Christlike in our giving? As we continue our message series - Overflow: From Him, Through Us, For All - the words of the Apostle Paul in 2 Corinthians 9 urge us to trust the sufficiency of what God has given us and pursue the …

Do you give out of obligation? Does it take a lot to convince you? Or do you find yourself giving freely and cheerfully in response to God's goodness? As we continue our message series - Overflow: From Him, Through Us, For All - the words of the Apostle Paul in 2 Corinthians 9 encourage us to not give simply out of duty, but to give cheerfully and …

As we continue our message series - Overflow: From Him, Through Us, For All - we are again encouraged by Paul, the author of 2 Corinthians 8, to be eager in our giving! Together we'll learn what it looks like to not give carelessly but use our gifts intentionally as an opportunity for partnering with those around us. Listen with us to our newest me…

To excel in something is to do it with abundance and excellence; to go above and beyond what is “normal” in that area. In our Biblical text today, we are called to “stand out” or “surpass” the norm in a particular area of our lives: generosity. As we continue our message series - Overflow: From Him, Through Us, For All - we'll be challenged by God'…

Have you received God’s grace in your life? This is the big question we're asking through our newest message series, Overflow: From Him, Through Us, For All. The evidence that we've received that gift of grace is seen in how it overflows throughout all aspects of our lives regardless of our circumstances, beyond our own limitations, and as a giving…

Happy Resurrection Day! The tomb is empty because Jesus Christ is alive! Let your memories of God’s work in your life and the salvation He won for you fasten you close to your Savior - and propel you to spread the good news of His Gospel! Today we turn to Matthew 28 as we reflect on the glorious resurrection of Jesus Christ and the start of the Gre…

Today we celebrate the goodness of God! Join us as we reflect upon the verses in Matthew 27 telling of the brutal trial, crucifixion, and death of Jesus Christ. Matthew’s vivid description invites us to see Jesus' crucifixion through the eyes of those who witnessed it firsthand: the governor, the soldier, and the crowd. Listen to our newest message…

In the closing words of Jesus' final teaching before His crucifixion, He paints the picture of a shepherd separating sheep from goats, by which He teaches us a critical lesson: our faith reveals our identity - and determines our destination. Our current series, What Now: How Tomorrow Shapes Today, concludes with a hard look at our own faith in the …

Last week we posed the question, “Are you ready?” This week we challenge you, “But really, are you?” Join us as we continue in our series, What Now: How Tomorrow Shapes Today, by evaluating the parable Jesus told of the 10 virgins. Together, we'll examine our hearts to determine whether our discipleship is authentic or superficial - and learn the i…

Are you ready? That question alone is enough to put us on edge. When we're standing at the start of something new, many of us get that familiar sinking feeling in our stomach as we being to question, "Am I ready for this?" Today we continue through our series, What Now: How Tomorrow Shapes Today, by examining we're truly ready for the long-awaited …

Many of us have found ourselves asking, "What could possibly happen next?" We've lost our sense of control over the future and don't know how the events of the world will play out. Yet in the midst of the unknown, God invites us to hold fast to His unchanging nature and steadfast promises. Today we continue through our series, What Now: How Tomorro…

For many, a key motivation in what we choose to do every minute of our day is to avoid discomfort. Our culture tries its hardest to escape any kind of suffering. No one likes to suffer, but the extremes many take to stay comfortable has become an idol to many. And the Christian church is not exempt. Today, as we continue through our series, What No…

As we've turned the page to a new year, many are wondering what’ll come next and how to navigate it when it does. Today we kick off our brand new series, What Now: How Tomorrow Shapes Today, where answer the question on everyone's mind: "What do we do now?" Listen with us in our newest message, Not So Breaking News, as we explore what Matthew 24 re…

Christians often use the phrase, "born again," but do we really understand what it means? In our culture, we've come to relate the idea of birth with a new beginning, a fresh start, a grand renewal. And such is the case with our salvation! In the next part of our series, The Forgotten Virtue: Learning to Love Again, we unpack what it means for our …

If you're a follower of Jesus, can the people around you tell? While we don’t wear material indicators of our faith, our lives should display the radical, sacrificial love of our Savior. In the next part of our series, The Forgotten Virtue: Learning to Love Again, 1 John 4 reveals that to believe in Jesus Christ is to know God's love. Listen with u…

Has loving the people around you ever felt like a chore? Like you're running on an empty tank? Maybe it's because you aren't being filled with the right kind of fuel. In the next part of our series, The Forgotten Virtue: Learning to Love Again, the scripture of 1 John 4 teaches us God is our ultimate, enduring source of love because he IS love! Lis…

It wouldn’t take much searching to find harsh, hate-filled words being spoken in the name of “being right.” We may even contribute to these damaging conversations ourselves. In the next part of our series, The Forgotten Virtue: Learning to Love Again, the words of 1 John reveal how seriously God condemns hatred - to the point of equating it with mu…

We often hear that God is love - and He is! But our world has a way of twisting something God created into a thing He never intended it to be. And our understanding of love is no exception. In our misunderstanding of God's love, many have come to believe He's incapable of hating or judging evil and sin. Today, we continue in our series, The Forgott…

When we face trials, we can lose sight of what it means to really love, as God calls us to. Today we begin our new message series, The Forgotten Virtue: Learning to Love Again, by taking a hard look at how society, including the Church, left love behind in 2020. Listen with us in our newest message, The Old (New) Commandment, as we discover how tru…

Oleh Woodside Bible Church Pontiac

Whether depicted in movies, books, or even in our imagination, when we see a king they are typically being catered to or assisted by many different servants. Between royalty, wealth, or status, those in authority seem to have many at their disposal to serve their needs and wants. So how unique and heartwarming when we witness someone who could be s…

As each new unprecedented update floods our screens and news feeds, we can’t help but wonder “why?” Some of us may question how we can escape this darkness in the world. This week we continue our series, Giftwrapped: From Longing to Lavished, where we will unpack the covenant that God made with Moses and His people in the book of Exodus. Listen wit…

When walking through suffering what do we focus on? Often, focus is on ourselves and the situation. And our mind is flooded with a asking – why, why God? This week we hear a message from Senior Pastor Chris Brooks, where we will unpack how as believers in Jesus Christ we are going to encounter suffering. But instead of dwelling on the “why” we comp…

Whether you are a Christian or not, we have times where we question who God is and who we are. Many are searching for their place and purpose in life and end up feeling lost and shook with doubt. This week we continue our series, Unshakeable: Steadfast Hope in an Unpredictable World, where our examination of 1 Peter 2 reminds us who we are, why we …

Message 4 of our 8 week series called "Unshakeable, Finding Steadfast Hope in an Unpredictable World." We continued on into 1 Peter chapter 2 to see how all who believe in the Gospel message of Christ are called into ministry as God's spiritual temple built on the foundation of ChristOleh Woodside Bible Church Pontiac

Sometimes we hear the word "love" and imagine that deep feeling of affection or romance with red hearts and warm hugs. But love shouldn't just be a feeling. God intends for it to be so much more! Love is active, ongoing, and a daily choice. This week we continue our series, Unshakeable: Steadfast Hope in an Unpredictable World, by analyzing how the…

What do you hope for today? What do you hope for this year? Or even this lifetime? Hope is a powerful thing and it can guide how we choose to live each day. This week we continue our series, Unshakeable: Steadfast Hope in an Unpredictable World, where we make the connection of what we hope to how we act. When we know of the future grace and victory…

This week we are starting a brand new series, Unshakeable: Steadfast Hope in an Unpredictable World! Hope seems to be a word thrown around when our circumstances seem, well, hopeless. In this series, searching for hope, we look to 1 Peter. Here, we read of the unshakeable hope of a scattered group of Christians facing exile and persecution from the…