Year-End Reflection: How God Shaped Us in 2023

As we close this year at Oasis Community Church, I find myself reflecting on the incredible journey God has taken us through together. From our first gatherings in January to this final Sunday, He has been faithfully building His church—not through our efforts, but through His Spirit working in and through us.

What struck me most powerfully in recent days is this simple truth: Jesus is building His church, not us. For too many years, the American church has tried to build itself. But this year, God has been showing us a different way.

We Started with a Call to Transformation

The year began not with comfort, but with clarity. God broke through our deception with a three-part call: repent, be baptized, and follow. This wasn't about adding Jesus to our already busy lives or attending church when convenient. It was about dying to ourselves, rising up, and walking in newness of life.

We discovered that repentance wasn't about shame—it was about alignment. Getting ourselves lined up with what God says is true. Baptism wasn't just some ritual—it was burial and resurrection. The old going under, the new coming up.

As we read in Acts 2:38: "Repent and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus for the remission of sins and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit."

Oasis was reminded that we aren't called to be churchgoers—we're called to be disciples. James tells us clearly: "Be doers of the word, not hearers only, deceiving yourselves" (James 1:22). Hearing without doing leaves us in neutral, and a vehicle in neutral isn't going anywhere.

We Were Confronted with the Cross and Freed from Iniquity

Around Resurrection Sunday, we explored how the cross broke the yoke of slavery to iniquity—not only in our personal lives but generationally. I've witnessed this truth in my own family, as Lisa has been freed from the generational bondage of Huntington's disease that took her mother and both sisters.

These yokes weren't broken by our effort but by the anointing of Christ. As Galatians 5:1 reminds us: "Christ has set us free. Stand firm, therefore, do not submit again to a yoke of slavery."

Jesus didn't just die to forgive you—He rose to free you from who you used to be. Throughout this year, we've witnessed people walking in bound by addiction and walking out free. People coming in with generational curses and walking out with generational blessings. Individuals dragging in religious baggage and walking out with a relationship with Christ.

God Kept Returning to Identity

We explored what it means to be new creations in Christ. As 2 Corinthians 5:17 declares: "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, all things have become new."

We put off the old self, the old nature, the old ways of thinking. We were called to put on Christ. We don't fight for our identity—we fight from our identity. We are sons and daughters, kings and priests, Spirit-filled, Spirit-led people. No longer orphans, but adopted children of the Most High God.

Romans 8:15 tells us: "For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the spirit of adoption as sons by whom we cry, 'Abba, Father.'"

When we truly know who we are in Christ, there's no such thing as being offended anymore. That's the power of identity.

We Embraced Intentional Spiritual Formation

We discovered that spiritual formation isn't just a Christian thing—it's a human thing. We are all being formed every day by our habits, relationships, the stories we believe, and our environment.

Without intentional formation, the natural formation produces stress, hurry, anxiety, fear, insecurity, jealousy, anger, and impatience. But when we intentionally form ourselves through Christ's practices, we develop love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control.

We explored the practices Jesus demonstrated: solitude, prayer, Scripture, fasting, community, service, generosity, Sabbath, and witness. Because becoming like Christ doesn't happen accidentally—it happens intentionally. Formation always precedes manifestation.

God showed me that He's not interested in what I can do for Him—He's interested in who I'm becoming. He's shaping a people here at Oasis.

We Learned How to Stand Unshakable

When the world faced assassinations, school shootings, economic uncertainty, and political division, God taught us that when the foundations are destroyed, the righteous receive an unshakable kingdom (Hebrews 12:28).

We learned we don't panic—we pray. We don't retreat—we stand. We don't compromise—we remain faithful. When the world is shaking, we have something unshakable. When the world is in chaos, we have peace that passes all understanding.

Looking Forward: Unity and Mission

As we enter 2024, I believe God is moving His church into unity like we've never seen before. Unity isn't a feeling or an agreement—it's a shared submission to Christ. This pastor will be focusing on the health of our body in the coming year.

Remember, this isn't just about Sunday attendance—it's about Monday through Saturday deployment. It's about taking what God has formed in us and bringing it into our workplaces, schools, neighborhoods, and communities.

We'll be launching the "Sent Ones" initiative where every member will identify their specific mission field and commit to bringing Christ's presence there. Some will be sent to schools, some to businesses, some to government, some to the arts—but all of us are sent and all of us are carriers of His presence.

Where is God sending you? What has He been forming in you that others need? How will you carry His peace into enemy territory?

Let's step into this new year together—formed by Christ, united in purpose, and sent with power.

Want to hear the full message? Visit our website to watch or listen to the complete sermon.

Join a small group in January to continue the conversation about how God is forming and sending us.

Meta Description: Reflect on how God shaped Oasis Community Church in 2023 through transformation, freedom, identity, formation, and standing unshakable—and discover His vision for unity and mission in 2024.

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