Midweek Update [April 21, 2021]
Midweek Update [April 14, 2021]
Midweek Update [April 7, 2021]
New Interim Director of Kids Ministry
First Moore is excited to welcome Ben Woodson to our ministry team as our Interim Director of Kids Ministry.
Ben, his wife, Meredith, and their son, Lukah, will be joining us from Southern Hills. Ben has served as the Preteen Minister and Interim Director of Kids Ministry at Southern Hills. Ben and Meredith also served overseas before the pandemic hit. He is currently serving as a 4th grade teacher at Rockwood Elementary in Oklahoma City.
Ben and Charlie Gatton will be working together in April and then Charlie Gatton will step out to focus solely on preparing for multiple weeks of CrossTimbers. We are excited to have Ben with us in this new role and look forward to how God is going to use him to help strengthen our ministry to the Next Gen and their families.
Midweek Update [March 31, 2021]
Midweek Update [March 24, 2021]
Summer 2021
Summer 2021 is quickly approaching and we have several ministry opportunities for those involved with our Next Gen Ministry. We wanted to give families these dates so that can be prepared as they plan for the summer.
Super Summer 2021- June 7-11 Super Summer is a leadership camp for students that have completed 7th-12th grade. Students must apply and interview for this camp. Contact Jason Peck for more info.
Falls Creek- June 28-July 3 Students that have completed 7th-12th grade are invited to join us at the largest youth camp in the world located in the Arbuckle Mountains of Davis, OK. Registration will open in May.
CrossTimbers- July 5-8 Kids that have completed 3rd-6th grade are invited to join us at CrossTimbers Mission Adventure Camp. Find more info and register at www.firstmoore.com/crosstimbers.
VBS in the Park- July 26-29 We are taking VBS to our community again in 2021 and plan to be in six different parks around Moore. VBS in the Park will be for kids that have completed Kindergarten-6th grade. More info coming soon.
Midweek Update [March 17, 2021]
Holy Week at First Moore
We are excited to offer three different events for people during Holy Week (the week preceding Easter Sunday). We will kick things off on Palm Sunday with a Night of Worship. Then on Good Friday we will have a night of reflection and remembrance as we think about Jesus going to and dying on the cross. Both of these special gatherings are preparing us for the celebration that is to happen on Easter Sunday.
We hope that you can join us for each of these times of worship and celebration as focus on Jesus this Easter season.
Women's Bible Study
Our Women’s Ministry is excited to be offering two new Bible studies on Tuesday, March 23. They will meet each Tuesday through May 4. Childcare is available upon request (please fill out form below).
Elijah by Priscilla Shirer is a 7-session journey through the life and times of the prophet Elijah that will help women discover how the fire on Mount Carmel was forged in the valley of famine. And how the emboldened, fiery faith you desire is being fashioned by God in your life right now.
Precepts: Galatians by Kay Arthur is an inductive bible study through the New Testament book of Galatians. The goal of all Precept studies is to get people into the life-changing Word of God.
Midweek Update [March 10, 2021]
Midweek Update [March 3, 2021]
Midweek Update [February 24, 2021]
Midweek Update [February 17, 2021]
Midweek Update [February 9, 2021]
This Week’s Personal Action Step
Ask God to show you someone who you are to begin or deepen a relationship with, for the purpose of showing them who Christ is by your actions toward them.
This Week’s Group Action Step
Ask each other next week in your LifeGroups, ‘Who did God put on your heart to go love?’
This fits well with question two on the bookmark, “What is God asking me/you to do for Him and others? This a Empower and Engage question.
FEBRUARY 8 - THE GREATEST COMMANDMENT-Part Two
Matthew 22:37-40 “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”
The second part of this commandment is to love your neighbor as yourself. It is tied permanently to loving God. If you love God, you will love others. On the contrary, if you do not love others, it is proof that you really do not love God. Jesus says in John 8:14-15, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.”
Do you know your neighbor enough to love them? Those who live near you, work next to you, and those you see regularly in the daily rhythm of your life. Do you know these ‘neighbors’ and do you love them? If so, how? We must do this intentionally, on purpose. Loving our neighbors will not happen by accident.
God demonstrated His love toward us while we were still sinners. Do we demonstrate our love for others who may or may not follow Christ? A genuine concern for people, and praying for them is the start. If you don’t really have that, or haven’t taken the opportunity to begin loving your neighbor, ask Christ to help you see them as He sees them. Ask Him to change your heart so that you do want to love others as He does.
FEBRUARY 9 - IS LOVING OTHERS OBVIOUS?
John 13:34-35 “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”
Everyone will know we follow Christ…that we are His disciples…by the way we love each other. It is sad to say that in some areas, people may not see us loving each other, but bickering over preferences or being argumentative.
Examine your own life. How do you love other followers that you are around? Could you love your neighbors in the same ways? Going back to yesterday’s devotional, how are you loving your neighbor? We say we love others, and our neighbors…but if someone were to ask you ‘how are you loving others’, what would you say? How would you answer that? Ask God and He will show you how to start.
We used this passage in the week on Embrace. The same questions apply here because Jesus uses the words ‘all people’ will know that you are my disciples. So, not just those in your church circles are watching. Let’s look at it again: Jesus goes so far as to say that the evidence of being His disciple is that you love one another. How much ‘evidence’ is there on you for someone to claim that you are a follower of Jesus Christ? Or are you exhibiting evidence of the opposite? Are you ‘more about you’ than you are about others? Do those you are around, your neighbors and co-workers or school friends, know you are His disciple, by the love you show one-another?
FEBRUARY 10 - DOES HOPE SHOW?
1 Peter 3:15 “But sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence;”
The apostle Peter is moved by God to write about making a ‘defense’ and giving an account of hope’ which should be obvious in us as followers of Christ. The word ‘Defense’ is from the Greek word ‘apologia’ – apologetics – or our ability to explain what we believe and why. But it’s even better to explain ‘Who’ we believe in. Not just the facts, but the Person of Jesus Christ. Peter knew this well. When he and John were brought before the High Priest and the Council, Peter gave a defense for Who he believed in and ‘whose power’ healed the crippled man. Peter and John were then ‘threatened’ and ‘charged ‘not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus.’
Paul was brought before King Agrippa, and Festus, the incoming Governor, to give a defense. Festus said was out of his mind. But King Agrippa said to Paul, “In a short time would you persuade me to be a Christian?” The King was starting to realize hope was a Person. The person of Christ.
In both instances these disciples, Peter and Paul, explained Who they had hope in, and did so with gentleness and reverence. We never know when we will be called to give an account of our hope.
But this verse assumes you are close enough to others in your life for them to ‘see hope in you’…and that you are actually exhibiting hope. People notice when you have ‘no’ hope. People are watching your actions and attitudes. In tough times, we may sometimes find ourselves not showing much hope. It happens. If you find yourself with no hope, or your hope is waning, go to the One Who Is hope. We hope in Jesus, not our circumstances. He will be the One who sustains you, and causes you to have hope. He is the One who will help you exhibit hope in the way you live your life. It is not just a coincidence that the passage starts with, ‘but sanctify Christ as Lord in your heart.’ Growth (sanctification) in your heart for Christ is always the right place to start. As that happens, you are ready to defend ‘why’ you are hopeful in Him.
FEBRUARY 11 - “GO” WITH INTENTION OF LOOKING FOR THOSE WHO ARE NOT CONNECTED
Luke 14:21-23 “Then the master of the house became angry and said to his servant, ‘Go out quickly to the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in the poor and crippled and blind and lame.’ And the servant said, ‘Sir, what you commanded has been done, and still there is room.’ And the master said to the servant, ‘Go out to the highways and hedges and compel people to come in, that my house may be filled.”
When Jesus was telling this parable, He was trying to show the Pharisees that those who are welcomed are many. That He wants his banquet full. The original invitees found excuses to avoid attending the banquet. So will some of those who we invite into our lives, into our groups, and into our corporate worship times. However, if we think about focusing on making friends out there, if we love our neighbor, as we looked at earlier this week, we will have friends who we can bring with us. Jesus spent a lot of time loving people on the outskirts and befriending them. They knew He genuinely cared. They followed Him because of that. Are you asking God to show you the people in your path you can love, care for, and then share Who loves you and them?
If we live with intention, looking for those who we can love, God will show us who they are. Then we love them as we are obedient to our Lord.
FEBRUARY 12 - WE WELCOME STRANGERS IN
Matthew 25:35-40 “For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’”
Jesus explains here that when we care for those who are in need or are having a bad day, we are caring for Him. For He loves them too. When we invite those we don’t know, strangers, to come be with us, we are inviting Him. We don’t just invite them to church. We don’t just invite them to our LifeGroups. We invite them into our lives. We show them the love of Christ first, so they know we are genuine. As they see our love for them and for others, they will feel more and more welcome with you, and us all.
We never know exactly what someone may be going through. But, if we are open to whoever God puts in our paths, He will make sure we are ready to genuinely engage them in whatever way necessary to show His love to them.
Midweek Update [February 3, 2021]
Empower - Devotionals
This Week’s Personal Action Step
What are the gifted areas of my life? Take an online spiritual gift inventory to begin to see how you are gifted by the Spirit with spiritual gifts.
If you know how you are gifted, are you using your gifts for the sake of our Lord and others? If not, why not?
This Week’s Group Action Step
The leaders in each group should share what their gifts are and how they are using them.
FEBRUARY 1 - THE SPIRIT EMPOWERS YOU
Acts 1:8 “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
Sometimes we think the Spirit gives us power. He does not. He ‘is’ the power. We do not get His power apart from Him. He is the One who gifts us and shows us the spiritual fruit we should exhibit. He empowers us to use our gifts and show the fruit of the Spirit. In those moments when we are using our Spiritual gifts or the fruit of the Spirit for the sake of others, it is evident in our lives that we are imitating Christ, who had all gifts and exhibited all spiritual fruit. ‘Whoever has seen Me, has seen the Father’. John 14:9.
Being empowered by God is not for us, but for us to use for the sake of others in our lives. We do have joy when we are using our gifts and are being the person God has made us to be. Our actions and attitudes which are Christ-like toward others are obvious when we are using our spiritual gifts and the fruit of the Spirit is evident. We are the ‘witnesses’, the ‘forth-tellers’. Those, who by their actions and attitudes and words express who He is and how He loves. We hope you see this week that God through His Holy Spirit has empowered you. You can make a difference in the lives of others.
FEBRUARY 2 - EMPOWERED BY GOD TO GIVE
I Corinthians 12:4-8 “Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.”
Spiritual gifts from the Spirit are for the body. They are not for us. But for us to use for the sake of others…the common good. Gifts are not for us to bring attention to ourselves, but for the sake of others and how we all work as a body, together to bring glory to Him. This whole chapter 12 shows how Jesus has enabled us to work together, but in different ways. There are a variety of gifts, a variety of services, and a variety of activities… but all from the same God who empowers them all in everyone, and all for the common good.
How has God, through His Holy Spirit gifted you? Are you using the gifts He has given you? If you do not know what your gifts are, or it has been a while since you asked that question of yourself, why not take a survey which will help reveal how God has gifted you?
FEBRUARY 3 - GIVE YOUR GIFTS IN LOVE
I Corinthians 13:1-3 “If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.”
Gifts are to be used in love. Each of our gifts are to be exercised in a loving manner. It will not matter much to someone if you can explain something well, but are not kind and loving. Also, we do not use gifts to lord over one another. How many times though, have you been more like a clanging cymbal? Without love, your gifts are just noise to those who see or hear you. Your lack of love gets in the way of them seeing just who Christ is by looking at one of His followers. Do you exhibit His gifts in such a way that He is portrayed well or is obnoxious? (Might it even be considered “clangy”!)
One of the best ways to know this is to ask Him to show you. Mean it when you ask Him. Say this, “Jesus, show me where I am getting in the way of people seeing You in me because of my poor attitude or actions. Show me where I am a noisy, clanging cymbal. Help me to be more loving as I use my gifts.
FEBRUARY 4 - EXIBITING THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRT
Galatians 5:22-23 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control,”
The spiritual gifts, which we discussed the last two days, are given based on how God desires for you to use them in your life for the sake of others. Each of us get a different ‘gift blending’. However, the ‘fruit’ of the spirit is for all followers to have, grow in, and show. Each of us should increase in how this ‘fruit’ grows in our lives. None of us as followers are exempt from these fruits of the Spirit, because the same Spirit lives in each of us. We are empowered by Him to show them. The old joke, “I must have been absent the day God gave out ‘patience’”, is not true in any disciple’s life. You may lack patience, or kindness, or self-control…but that is not God’s fault. All fruit is available to you if you are His. The reason you may exhibit a lack of fruit is that you are immature in that area, and need to grow. That may be hard to hear, but it is true. None of us are 100% perfect in showing these to others. We all need to grow to look more like Christ each day. He exhibited them all perfectly.
Ask Him which ones you need to grow in. You probably already know. If you don’t know, ask your spouse or a close friend. Don’t push back when you hear the answer, but, be ready to pray that you will change.
FEBRUARY 5 - HUMBLY USE YOUR GIFTS
Romans 12:3-8 “For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.”
1 Corinthians 12:14-20 “For the body does not consist of one member but of many. If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. If all were a single member, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, yet one body.”
These two portions of scripture are similar. No part of the body of Christ is more or less important than the other parts. One section talks about not thinking too highly of yourself and the other not thinking too lowly of yourself…based on the gifts God has given you.
So much of life is about being ‘more’ or ‘less’ than someone else. Having more or less. Being taller or shorter. Faster or slower. An ‘A’ student or a ‘C’ student. In all these things God is looking at how He has gifted us for the sake of others, and for them to see Him. His giftings are not to be looked at the way the world looks at things. Don’t compare. Comparison kills the joy of doing ministry and the joy that we receive with it.
We're Hiring
Would you like to join our team and help make a difference in God’s Kingdom? First Moore is currently looking to fill two part-time positions. Check out the descriptions below and see if one of them might be on interest to you.
Modern Worship Sound Technician (5-10 hours per week)
We are looking for a person with experience in mixing sound in a modern worship setting. Knowledge with lighting, livestreaming, and ProPresnter will be a plus. Position will include five hours on Sunday mornings and potential events during the week (if available).
Maintenance and Custodian Assistant (20 hours per week)
We are looking for a person to help us behind the scenes with building maintenance, grounds keeping, and cleaning. Experience with lawn care and landscaping will be a plus.