Sometimes it is a struggle trusting God, taking Him at His word, and believing that what God wants is best for me. This comes from wanting to be in control. Because in control of life, one can be confident everything will happen how they want it to. We have just launched a new series, Elijah; A Man Just Like Us, reminding us how the same God Elijah…

Have you ever been met with the question; “why are you a Christian?” The outside world loves to ask that question, for curiosity or possibly to prove you wrong. It can be very intimidating to feel like all the pressure to defend your faith and want to do it perfectly. Fears may sneak in, and insecurities build up. What should I say? How do I do thi…

It’s one of the most tragic and misunderstood trials a parent can face, losing their child. While plagued with grief, questions are flooding their minds. What happened to our child? Are they with Jesus? How are we supposed to know if they are ok?” In our series, Asking for a Friend series, we’ll answer tough questions and provide you with gospel-ce…

Is anxiety or being anxious, a sin? Anxiety is an issue of giving weight to the things we care about. If we give the proper weight to the proper things, then our anxiety over them is not sin. But if we give improper weight to things, our anxiety could be the kind that Jesus instructs us against. Each of us needs to ask ourselves this question consi…

We prepare for tests, parties, job interviews, house projects, and difficult conversations. Preparation is a part of our lives. But how often do we think about preparing for paradise? In Revelation: All Things New, we’ll discover a glorious description of the end of all things and the great kingdom to come. We concluded our study by examining the f…

We all love a good story! Maybe even more specifically, one with a hero and a happy ending! It’s the classic adventure we sometimes relate and reflect within our own lives—we face antagonists, weakness, trial or even death—and then we come out of the abyss victorious, resurrected, changed. It’s the hopeful outcome of the human soul! We love stories…

If someone were to ask you what the word “father” means to you, your answer may be vastly different than the person next to you. In fact, everyone may have a slightly different view based on your relationship with your father or if you are a father. Our world has deeply impacted our view, but has that somehow impacted our view of our Heavenly Fathe…

Who gets the last word? In so many aspects, we see that the last word comes from a place of authority. In a court case, the jury makes the decision. At work, your boss makes the final decision. In a game, the referee makes the call. At church, we learn that God is the ultimate power and authority over all. So, we may wonder, how does God deal with …

For many Christians worldwide, the threat of persecution is a constant reality in their following of Jesus. While we do not have those same experiences in the West, it is important to remember what our brothers and sisters face in other parts of the world. Imagine waking up daily under the threat of persecution. What might you long for or place you…

What will it be like when Jesus returns at his second coming? Have you ever thought about that? What’s the impact of his return, and what should our response be? Today we continue our message series! In Revelation: All Things New, we’ll discover a glorious description of the end of all things and the great kingdom to come. There is debate surroundi…

In recent years, Christianity has faced some of its biggest challenges in the Western world. Churches are in decline. Personal evangelism is a thing of the past. Sin is rampant. Our current “scientific” and secular culture has shown the foolishness of faith, and on and on it goes. So, how can Christians find the motivation necessary to overcome the…

What happens after we die? This is one of the biggest mysterious and curiosities spanning all humankind. There is so little knowledge about what happens to us after we die, there is all sorts of cultural intrigue around this question. We all want to know, because we’re all unsure, and we’re all going to die. Today we conclude our series called The …

Isn’t it interesting how we naturally want mercy and forgiveness for ourselves when we mess up but want swift justice for anyone that harms us? This is the tension that we live in daily and it’s a tension that we navigate unfairly every day. The only person that perfectly balances forgiveness and justice is Jesus. Today we continue our series calle…

Why do you do the things that you do? Think about it. Is it because someone you respect taught you? Are you wearing something you thought looked good on someone else? Have you started taking on hobbies your friends have? It’s pretty common, we become the people we surround ourselves with regularly. The same thing happens within the church! We don’t…

Today we continue our series called The Essentials: Why Truth Matters. In this series we are going to seek to lay down and identify the essential truths, the basic doctrines of the Christian faith growing through together one of the oldest affirmed creeds of the Christian church, The Apostles’ Creed. Looking further into the book of John, we take a…

Unfortunately when Bible stories become so main stream and casual, we lose the beautiful and power of those moment! Jesus’ death and resurrection is not just a story in a kids book. His victory has dramatic and amazing impact and consequences for all of our lives. But you might wonder what that really means? How does the so-called resurrection from…

What is your view of Jesus? Who is he to you? Do you believe what the bible says about Jesus? The answer to these questions matter, and they will impact your life and eternity. Sadly, I believe that most people’s view of Jesus, inside the church and outside the church, is lacking. We need a much bigger vision of who He is and what’s He’s done. So t…

Our current culture preaches worship of self, “you do you” or “live your truth,” elevating ourselves over everything else. With messages like this pressuring us all over our day to day lives, we often question (intentionally or unintentionally), why should I worship God and no other? Today we continue our series called The Essentials: Why Truth Mat…

“What is Truth?” With everyone having their own truth, and the world full of information, misinformation, and disinformation it can seem nearly impossible to tell fact from fiction. How do we know what is true? Does it matter? And how do we live in light of the truth itself? Today we are starting a new teaching series called The Essentials: Why Tru…

How would you define wealth? There are many different ways for us to calculate true financial wealth. To each person, it may look differently. Truth is, we covet. We always long for a little bit more than what we have. It’s easy for people to make an idol of money and wealth. This love of money, and the accumulation of wealth, has caused temptation…

We know how to recognize and award those who make movies, play sports, or work in different areas of industry. We have Hall of Fames while we nod our heads in approval at that person who we believe deserves our applauds. Culturally, we’ve learned how to honor and celebrate people, but what about our leaders in the church? Do we really know how to h…

Family. That words will make each person think of something different! Some may think of large holidays parties with kids running around and people talking over each other, while others may cringe a bit thinking about loss or pain from family. Family is different for everyone, but including God! His plan for the church was to be a spiritual family.…

The last few years have been disorienting at times for many as we have watched Christian “celebrities” and pastors announce that they were no longer Christians or become disqualified for ministry due to moral failings and sinful leadership practices. It has left many of us shocked, disheartened, and searching to understand what has led to all of th…

If you were to ask the people around you to describe you, how do you think they would respond? Would they describe you by your career, that you are funny or helpful, or possibly by your hobbies? Many people from different areas of your life may describe you in different ways based on how they know you. But, above all else would you be known for? Ea…

Today’s society continues to grow more and more individualistic. Be unique. Do it yourself. You can do anything! The disposition of individualism is that a person speaks or acts exclusively for himself with no consideration or reference to other people. This mentally has slowly crept its way into church culture as well. That is not the nature and t…

What happens when we neglect the central reality of the church? What occurs when we discount, ignore, or abandon the Gospel? As we study Paul’s letter to Timothy, we’re looking at the church itself; how to stay focused on “making sure the main thing is the main thing” rather than taking eyes off what is truly most important. Why should we hold fast…

In 2021, a polling organization published a report revealed that over the last 6 decades the percentage of American adults who belong to a local church dropped from 70% to 49%. It seems that an entire nation is asking a critical question about church…why bother? Many of us often wonder if going to church is really worth it. We can often fill our Su…

Christmas traditions are great! But how many of us have found ourselves at some point in a holiday season carrying on “the tradition,” but the reality is very different? Traditions sometimes can cause us to focus on the “joy” of Christmas while ignoring the harder or more painful parts of the season. This only makes the season harder and more chall…

Have you ever felt trapped in a situation? You feel like you are so far gone, or the circumstances are irredeemable. While in those moments of desperation or possibly years of trials, how often do we try to just solve all our problems on our own? We try to muster up all our strength, just to feel exhausted and back at the bottom. And possibly, how …

What’s the greatest Christmas gift you’ve ever received? Was it an Xbox, a vacation, or a red rider BB gun like in The Christmas Story? When I think back on the greatest Christmas gifts I’ve received, what made them great was not what they were or how much they cost but who they were connected to or came from. What made them great was the person I …

Everywhere we turn, it seems someone or something is promising to finally give us the satisfaction, happiness, and peace we long for. Yet from advertisements to political campaigns, these promises – and the empty places within us – remain unfilled. Throughout His Word, God makes promises, too – the kind that connect with our deepest needs, longings…

This is C.T.'s last message as Lapeer's Campus Pastor.Oleh Woodside Bible Church Lapeer

How often do we do a double check before we leave the house, go on vacation, or during prep, saying “Do I have everything I need?” We want to make sure nothing is missing, and we are good to go! The question is worth asking about our lives, especially in regard to our spiritual pursuits. Do we have everything we need to flourish and to overcome in …

One of the most mysterious aspects of the Christian faith actually revolves around one of the persons of the Trinity - the Holy Spirit. Questions arise like, is it a force or maybe like the force? Is the Holy Spirit an “it” or the Holy Spirit a “he?” Even beyond “what the Holy Spirit is,” or the better question, “who the Holy Spirit is?” What is th…

Have you ever felt unprepared in a situation? Maybe you didn’t realize that would happen or possibly someone else didn’t prepare you correctly for what was to come! Some have felt this way about becoming a Christian! Maybe you didn’t realize when you signed up that spiritual victory comes through carrying your own cross. Is it worth it? We continue…

So, what is the foundation for all who profess faith in Christ? What is the source of living a life that reflects the things Jesus teaches? While this may seem a bit too simple, too religious, too churchy, the answer remains - Jesus Himself! We continue our series, The Followers Trail Guide: Navigating the Path of Jesus, following Jesus through his…

Have you ever noticed that in the Bible fruit is frequently used in parables, stories, or symbolism? Fruit and farming were common things among the people of Bible, so it was an easy topic to relate to in a message. While scripture was written to the people of those days, it was also written for us! So, it is important for us to understand just exa…

In both Christian and non-Christian settings, Jesus is a more well-known name! People know about Jesus and the stories about him. Similarly, God is also known throughout the world. But there’s one person of the Trinity that seems to be more of a mystery: the Holy Spirit! Even many within the church don’t fully understand who and what the Holy Spiri…

Throughout the years, most have tried to find the meaning and purpose of life. They pose questions like - Where did I come from? Why am I here? Where am I going? Who am I? How should I live? And statistics prove that year after year, more people are looking for those answers outside of the church and God, relying on and believing in money, self, po…

Do the people around you know who you follow? The things that interest us tend to take priority in our lives; our children, our job, favorite sports team, a hobby, or even favorite series of books. We may have pictures, posters, shirts, and even often have conversations about whatever we follow! As a Christian, can those around us also see that we …

What does it mean to be a follower of Jesus? Have you ever been unsure of what comes next, where to go, or how to get there? For as many people as you ask that question to, you will probably hear as many different answers. Yet Jesus didn’t leave that question unanswered. Welcome to the first episode of our new series, The Followers Trail Guide: Nav…

Finding Community within the church has become evermore increasingly difficult to find. Join us today and discover what community can look like for you and why it is important for Christians to be in community with one another.Oleh Woodside Bible Church Lapeer

In today's day and age people can portray themselves to the world however they choose on social media, while the reality might be a completely different life than what people see. Influencers entice us to follow them on the basis that if we do what they do, we can achieve the appealing life we see on screen. Before we know it, we are following ever…

We’ve seen it on shirts, bumper stickers, and even on wall murals: Detroit vs Everybody. This isn’t the first time people have rallied behind the fact that they are different than another group, where an “us vs. them” mentally has formed. In a society that so often places people at odds, how can we experience unity despite our differences? Join us …

We might understand the division in our nation, but can we justify it in the Church? Join us as we continue our series, Divided: Seeking Unity in a Fractured World, by looking to 1 Corinthians 1 to discover the unifying power of Christ. This letter by the Apostle Paul teaches us how to live differently—in community with one another. Amidst a cultur…

One of the chief concerns of our day is that "we're more divided than ever." Have you felt that in your own life? It seems people are polarized over every possible issue and the division is only growing deeper and more isolating. We aren’t the first generation called to represent Christ in a splintered society, and God’s Word addresses this exact i…

As we turn to Matthew 6:16-18, we discover that we are to live for the reward of heaven and not for the reward on man. Together, we'll be challenged and encouraged by the Truth in this important passage of Scripture. So listen with us in our newest message, Habits - Fasting, to see how Christ is our example when it comes to fasting.…

As we turn to Psalm 4, we discover how David went to God in the midst of conflict and broken relationships to find peace and rest. Together, we'll be challenged and encouraged by the Truth in this important passage of Scripture. So listen with us in our newest message, Prayerful Response Transforms Into Peaceful Rest, to see how God meets us right …

In the book of Matthew, we see the teachings of Jesus and how His word still impact us today. Here in the scripture we will answer three basic questions; who is Jesus talking to, who does Jesus say that we are, and what does He tell us to do? Join us for our newest message "Let Your Light Shine" and discover what God has in store for you!…

In the name of "keeping the peace" many people avoid confronting problems in their relationships. Have you ever felt that tension among your family and friends? As we continue our message series, Family: Why Bother?, we see how the author of Genesis doesn’t gloss over the dysfunction of this family or leave it unattended. Instead, he brings it fron…