Week 9 - Life Church

Today we set out for Life Church, Edmond campus. We were really intrigued by this church because we had heard that the sermon is televised to multiple campuses and there is no “in-house” preacher. Everyone in their community of churches hears the same message from the same preacher each week. Each campus also has a “site” minister that leads everything, encourages, prays, etc., but the actual sermon is televised. There are 4 services, one on Saturday and 3 on Sunday. There is also a multitude of other activities going on here. The auditorium has “movie theatre” style seats, complete with cup holders. Coming from a church that discourages food and drink in the auditorium, we thought this was fun and fit the casual atmosphere. But these people were certainly not worshipping casually. The worship was enthusiastic and energetic, complete with a band led by a fabulous singer. A young couple with a baby turned around and enthusiastically greeted us and welcomed us there. They asked if we had been coming to Life Church long and we told them it was our first visit. Turns out it was only their 3rd visit. They already felt at home there. The sermon was entitled “Once Upon a Marriage.” While marriage was certainly discussed, the bottom line of the lesson was we will have trouble (in our marriages, with our kids, our jobs, just in life) and we will walk through the “valley of Achor (trouble).” There is no way to avoid it. But, at the end of that walk is always a door of hope. In a time when running away from trouble and looking for something better than what we have, is the message of society, his message was to stick it out. Let God provide the solution. Interestingly enough, he invited audience participation and talked as though he was standing right in front of us. What I learned today is God is not bound by conventional methods to speak to his people.