Orchard Hill Church

Stories From the Seats: Angie Widner by Orchard Hill Church

PART 6 - Derailed: Service - Brian Steenhoek by Orchard Hill Church

Our lives can be pictured as two rails. One rail represents the joys set before us as gifts from God. The other rail represents the pains, struggles and disappointments that are part of living in a broken world. We are often on both rails at the same time. Grandpa dies the same week his first grandchild is born. A family feels great joy at a Christmas Eve service and leaves to go visit mom at the hospice house. My marriage is everything I’ve always dreamed but we cannot seem to get pregnant. I’ve just graduated with honors and I cannot find a job. It looks like I’ll be going back home for a time. Every life gets derailed at some point. The derailment can be a tragedy, a deep loss or even a serious disappointment. The derailment requires a journey to get back on the tracks. The journey may have 6 stages: Shock, Sorrow, Struggle, Surrender, Sanctification and Service. Often people get stuck especially in the gap between struggle and surrender. These six stages of the derailment journey can take y

Our lives can be pictured as two rails. One rail represents the joys set before us as gifts from God. The other rail represents the pains, struggles and disappointments that are part of living in a broken world. We are often on both rails at the same time. Grandpa dies the same week his first grandchild is born. A family feels great joy at a Christmas Eve service and leaves to go visit mom at the hospice house. My marriage is everything I’ve always dreamed but we cannot seem to get pregnant. I’ve just graduated with honors and I cannot find a job. It looks like I’ll be going back home for a time. Every life gets derailed at some point. The derailment can be a tragedy, a deep loss or even a serious disappointment. The derailment requires a journey to get back on the tracks. The journey may have 6 stages: Shock, Sorrow, Struggle, Surrender, Sanctification and Service. Often people get stuck especially in the gap between struggle and surrender. These six stages of the derailment journey can take y

Our lives can be pictured as two rails. One rail represents the joys set before us as gifts from God. The other rail represents the pains, struggles and disappointments that are part of living in a broken world. We are often on both rails at the same time. Grandpa dies the same week his first grandchild is born. A family feels great joy at a Christmas Eve service and leaves to go visit mom at the hospice house. My marriage is everything I’ve always dreamed but we cannot seem to get pregnant. I’ve just graduated with honors and I cannot find a job. It looks like I’ll be going back home for a time. Every life gets derailed at some point. The derailment can be a tragedy, a deep loss or even a serious disappointment. The derailment requires a journey to get back on the tracks. The journey may have 6 stages: Shock, Sorrow, Struggle, Surrender, Sanctification and Service. Often people get stuck especially in the gap between struggle and surrender. These six stages of the derailment journey can take y

Our lives can be pictured as two rails. One rail represents the joys set before us as gifts from God. The other rail represents the pains, struggles and disappointments that are part of living in a broken world. We are often on both rails at the same time. Grandpa dies the same week his first grandchild is born. A family feels great joy at a Christmas Eve service and leaves to go visit mom at the hospice house. My marriage is everything I’ve always dreamed but we cannot seem to get pregnant. I’ve just graduated with honors and I cannot find a job. It looks like I’ll be going back home for a time. Every life gets derailed at some point. The derailment can be a tragedy, a deep loss or even a serious disappointment. The derailment requires a journey to get back on the tracks. The journey may have 6 stages: Shock, Sorrow, Struggle, Surrender, Sanctification and Service. Often people get stuck especially in the gap between struggle and surrender. These six stages of the derailment journey can take y

Our lives can be pictured as two rails. One rail represents the joys set before us as gifts from God. The other rail represents the pains, struggles and disappointments that are part of living in a broken world. We are often on both rails at the same time. Grandpa dies the same week his first grandchild is born. A family feels great joy at a Christmas Eve service and leaves to go visit mom at the hospice house. My marriage is everything I’ve always dreamed but we cannot seem to get pregnant. I’ve just graduated with honors and I cannot find a job. It looks like I’ll be going back home for a time. Every life gets derailed at some point. The derailment can be a tragedy, a deep loss or even a serious disappointment. The derailment requires a journey to get back on the tracks. The journey may have 6 stages: Shock, Sorrow, Struggle, Surrender, Sanctification and Service. Often people get stuck especially in the gap between struggle and surrender. These six stages of the derailment journey can take y

We find true hope at the empty tomb of Jesus. The message of Easter really matters as we face our own death or the death of our loved ones. Join us as we focus upon hope for this life and the next!

The apostle Paul was the original church planter. He established so many churches in the early days, and much of what we call the New Testament is made up of letters Paul wrote to the churches he started and cared for. His letter to the Philippians is one of these letters. Paul writes from a jail cell. Jailed for his Christian faith, he writes to his friends at the church in Philippi and imparts several things: That he loves them and prays for them That he is content and even joyful while in jail because he believes his suffering connects him with Jesus, and while imprisoned he has a “captive” audience as he shares the Gospel of Jesus. That they are to live humbly like Jesus in this world, and therefore, to shine like stars. That they are to trust in Jesus’ goodness alone, and not in their own religious accomplishments. That, through Christ, they can be content, at peace, and full of joy no matter what their circumstances might be. This is Paul’s most joy-filled letter, overflowing with encouragement, tendern

The apostle Paul was the original church planter. He established so many churches in the early days, and much of what we call the New Testament is made up of letters Paul wrote to the churches he started and cared for. His letter to the Philippians is one of these letters. Paul writes from a jail cell. Jailed for his Christian faith, he writes to his friends at the church in Philippi and imparts several things: That he loves them and prays for them That he is content and even joyful while in jail because he believes his suffering connects him with Jesus, and while imprisoned he has a “captive” audience as he shares the Gospel of Jesus. That they are to live humbly like Jesus in this world, and therefore, to shine like stars. That they are to trust in Jesus’ goodness alone, and not in their own religious accomplishments. That, through Christ, they can be content, at peace, and full of joy no matter what their circumstances might be. This is Paul’s most joy-filled letter, overflowing with encouragement, tendern

The apostle Paul was the original church planter. He established so many churches in the early days, and much of what we call the New Testament is made up of letters Paul wrote to the churches he started and cared for. His letter to the Philippians is one of these letters. Paul writes from a jail cell. Jailed for his Christian faith, he writes to his friends at the church in Philippi and imparts several things: That he loves them and prays for them That he is content and even joyful while in jail because he believes his suffering connects him with Jesus, and while imprisoned he has a “captive” audience as he shares the Gospel of Jesus. That they are to live humbly like Jesus in this world, and therefore, to shine like stars. That they are to trust in Jesus’ goodness alone, and not in their own religious accomplishments. That, through Christ, they can be content, at peace, and full of joy no matter what their circumstances might be. This is Paul’s most joy-filled letter, overflowing with encouragement, tendern

The apostle Paul was the original church planter. He established so many churches in the early days, and much of what we call the New Testament is made up of letters Paul wrote to the churches he started and cared for. His letter to the Philippians is one of these letters. Paul writes from a jail cell. Jailed for his Christian faith, he writes to his friends at the church in Philippi and imparts several things: That he loves them and prays for them That he is content and even joyful while in jail because he believes his suffering connects him with Jesus, and while imprisoned he has a “captive” audience as he shares the Gospel of Jesus. That they are to live humbly like Jesus in this world, and therefore, to shine like stars. That they are to trust in Jesus’ goodness alone, and not in their own religious accomplishments. That, through Christ, they can be content, at peace, and full of joy no matter what their circumstances might be. This is Paul’s most joy-filled letter, overflowing with encouragement, tendern

Jesus began his public ministry proclaiming the good news of God, saying “The time has come, the kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!” (Mark 1:14-15). The "kingdom of God" was Jesus' favorite teaching topic. Join us as we explore Jesus' invitation and vision for living in his Father's world - the good news that Jesus said is not just a future promise but also a present reality. We'll explore what kingdom living looks like, what makes it good news, and how we can best move in by "moving out" into the world to demonstrate, seek and share God's kingdom with others.

Jesus began his public ministry proclaiming the good news of God, saying “The time has come, the kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!” (Mark 1:14-15). The "kingdom of God" was Jesus' favorite teaching topic. Join us as we explore Jesus' invitation and vision for living in his Father's world - the good news that Jesus said is not just a future promise but also a present reality. We'll explore what kingdom living looks like, what makes it good news, and how we can best move in by "moving out" into the world to demonstrate, seek and share God's kingdom with others.

Jesus began his public ministry proclaiming the good news of God, saying “The time has come, the kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!” (Mark 1:14-15). The "kingdom of God" was Jesus' favorite teaching topic. Join us as we explore Jesus' invitation and vision for living in his Father's world - the good news that Jesus said is not just a future promise but also a present reality. We'll explore what kingdom living looks like, what makes it good news, and how we can best move in by "moving out" into the world to demonstrate, seek and share God's kingdom with others.

For most of us, our family is the most important thing in our lives. We love our spouses, our kids, our parents and relatives more than anything else in the world. But our love is not perfect. Often times we do not live in love, but rather fear. And there are real reasons to fear; fear of getting it wrong, fear of our marriage failing, fear of our kids going astray, fear of shame and vulnerability and on and on and on...

For most of us, our family is the most important thing in our lives. We love our spouses, our kids, our parents and relatives more than anything else in the world. But our love is not perfect. Often times we do not live in love, but rather fear. And there are real reasons to fear; fear of getting it wrong, fear of our marriage failing, fear of our kids going astray, fear of shame and vulnerability and on and on and on...

For most of us, our family is the most important thing in our lives. We love our spouses, our kids, our parents and relatives more than anything else in the world. But our love is not perfect. Often times we do not live in love, but rather fear. And there are real reasons to fear; fear of getting it wrong, fear of our marriage failing, fear of our kids going astray, fear of shame and vulnerability and on and on and on...

For most of us, our family is the most important thing in our lives. We love our spouses, our kids, our parents and relatives more than anything else in the world. But our love is not perfect. Often times we do not live in love, but rather fear. And there are real reasons to fear; fear of getting it wrong, fear of our marriage failing, fear of our kids going astray, fear of shame and vulnerability and on and on and on... But God does not want us to be ruled by fear, but rather love. In 1 John 4:18 John writes, "There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love." It makes sense to us, but yet is difficult to put into practice. God's perfect love casts out fear. But remember, this does not mean our families won't face hard times, or danger or even death. But even in the midst of those hard times, we can still live in God’s power and love. To live in families without fear, we cannot do it alone. We need others to h

Remember the excitement and the anticipation you felt as a child waiting to tear into the present wrapped up under the tree with your name on it? You’d waited for days, weeks, maybe even all year for one special gift you wanted more than anything and believed would bring happiness, joy, maybe even change your life. Now imagine if you or your family had been waiting for such a gift for 5 years, or 50, or 500. Chances are - you may have forgotten what it was or why you even wanted it in the first place. Two thousand years ago, angels announced “Jesus’ arrival on earth. Many who heard this message had been waiting expectantly for hundreds of years to receive this “good news of great joy.” But many others had long ago lost hope it would ever come, forgotten what they really longed for, or even exchanged their desire for something else. Advent is a season for remembering what it is we most want and why we need so desperately for someone to bring it to us. It’s a time for renewed hope, restored desire and expect