Oak Pointe Church • Novi

Wisdom Calls: Without Wisdom Our Nation Runs on Fumes

Proverbs 7 

There are certain realities in life that are so obvious we rarely think to acknowledge them. A seed cannot grow without water, a car cannot drive without tires, and for some, coffee isn’t coffee if it’s decaf. These are givens – truths that almost go without saying. 

In the same way, God created human sexuality to operate within the framework of wisdom. For Christians, it should be a given that sexual integrity requires God’s wisdom, yet Proverbs 7 shows us what happens when that “given” is ignored. Both believers and unbelievers often step outside God’s design resulting in consequences such as sexual brokenness, confusion, and dehumanization. Without Jesus and the wisdom He offers, the persuasion of the world inevitably leads to death. 

Join us this Sunday as we consider the sobering reality of rejecting wisdom and the freedom found in Jesus’ redemption. 

Wisdom Calls: Without Wisdom Our Nation Runs on Fumes (Part 6) 

Wisdom Protects 

Proverbs 6 

Medieval battle strategies used to look vastly different from the ones we rely on today. What has become electronic and invisible in modern warfare was once expressed through shields, helmets, and carefully forged armor. Every piece was crafted by a blacksmith with a specific purpose in mind: to protect the life underneath and keep the danger of the enemy out. 

In the same way, God has crafted wisdom as a form of protection for His people. Wisdom strengthens our character, shields our path, and keeps out destructive sins that lead to death. God’s perfectly fashioned armor was designed not only to preserve who He made us to be, but to guard us from what threatens to destroy us. 

Join us this Sunday as we seek to know the deep care of our Father, who lovingly equips His people with the protection of wisdom. 

Wisdom Calls: Without Wisdom Our Nation Runs on Fumes

Sexual Fulfillment: Trap or Treasure 

Proverbs 5 

Imagine this: You’re driving home after a long day, ready to collapse on the couch. You pass a billboard that depicts a perfectly crafted, double-patty cheeseburger, waiting for you at exit 5. You resist until you get home, open the fridge, and find only the salad ingredients you promised yourself you’d use. Suddenly that billboard seems a lot more enticing. Five dollars later, the cheeseburger is yours. 

While this is a lighthearted anecdote, it mirrors a much bigger human struggle. When it comes to sexuality, the world is full of alluring messages that promise satisfaction, freedom, and immediacy. Proverbs counteracts these influences with the voice of wisdom that calls us toward something better: a sexuality shaped by covenant faithfulness and lifelong flourishing. 

Join us this Sunday as we explore God’s wonderful design for sexuality and learn how wisdom equips us to see the lie in the alluring voices of our world. 

Wisdom Calls: Without Wisdom Our Nation Runs on Fumes (Part 4) 

How the Gospel Makes us Wise  

Proverbs 4 

In 1994, evangelical author Jerry Bridges wrote a simple yet profound phrase: “Preach the gospel to yourself every day.” The phrase has echoed through churches around the world because it captures something our hearts desperately need. We are easily distracted, easily discouraged, and easily drawn toward lesser things. But the daily act of returning to the gospel anchors our hearts in what is eternally true.

Scripture invites us to see how embracing the truth of the gospel opens a doorway into the kind of wisdom only God can give. This truth can teach our hearts to walk wisely in a world full of noise and distraction.

Join us this Sunday as we continue our series in Proverbs and discover how a deep grasp of the gospel leads us into a life of glorious wisdom – wisdom that our nation desperately needs. 

Wisdom Calls: Without Wisdom Our Nation Runs on Fumes

Proverbs 3 

Our world is saturated with messages of self-reliance. In a single day you might drive past a billboard shouting “Just do it!”, wander through a bookstore aisle labeled “Self-Help”, watch a movie where the underdog climbs his way to the top through sheer grit, and finish the evening with a 30-second clip from an influencer urging you to “believe in yourself.” It sounds exhausting, doesn’t it? 

Thankfully, God offers us a different path. Scripture reminds us that we are not meant to “lean on our own understanding.” Instead, God invites us into His wisdom, the only source that brings true peace and lasting prosperity. 

Join us this Sunday, as we encounter the words of Proverbs 3 and consider the question: what would happen if God became our sole source of understanding? 

Wisdom Calls: Without Wisdom Our Nation Runs on Fumes

Picture this: A woman walks out of a store with grocery bags stacked up both arms. Her hands are shaking, items are slipping, and the door in front of her seems impossible to open. Bystanders step in to help, but she insists, “No, I’ve got it.” In reality, she doesn’t.

It’s easy to feel frustrated imagining this unfolding before you. We want to shout, “Just accept the help!” But this is often exactly how we live. Wisdom calls out to us, offering a better way – a life not crushed under the weight of sin, pride, and self-sufficiency. It seems obvious that we should accept this offer, but strangely, we often act just like this woman: unwilling to humble ourselves and receive what God offers.

Join us this Sunday as we read through the second chapter of Proverbs, seeking to answer the question: Do you want wisdom? 

Wisdom Calls: Without Wisdom Our Nation Runs on Fumes (Part 1) 

Proverbs 1

As you settle into bed, you pick up your phone for a quick scroll. Your intentions are harmless. You just want to catch up on the world or maybe even learn something new. “Cut off your toxic friends immediately,” one influencer demands. You swipe. “Vegetables are actually inflammatory and will give you arthritis,” claims a self-appointed nutrition expert. One more scroll, you tell yourself, only to be reminded by another influencer to reduce your screen time. With a sigh, you set your alarm. That’s enough advice for one night.

Our world is convinced it has the answers. Advice is offered freely, loudly, and constantly to anyone willing to listen. But where does true and lasting wisdom come from?

Join us this Sunday as we begin our new series in the book of Proverbs, seeking to gain wisdom from the One who created us.

The Calling of Congregational Worship (Part 2) 

Worship: More Than Music, a Life of Worship 

Whether you are a new believer or have been walking in the faith for years, we’ve all stepped into a church for the first time. Maybe you noticed people raising their hands, kneeling or singing at the top of their lungs. Perhaps you felt a bit timid about singing out loud, or maybe you just aren’t an expressive person. While those feelings are completely natural, scripture shows us a beautiful truth: corporate worship is a command designed for God’s glory and for our good. Have you ever wondered why we are specifically commanded to sing? Does it matter that we worship with others? 

Join us this Sunday as we discover what it means to gather in worship, and experience the blessings that inevitably follow. 

The Believer’s True Worship (Part 1)

Worship: More Than Music, a Life of Worship

We give things up all the time. Marriage involves giving up certain comforts and conveniences to care for another person. Parenting requires giving up sleep, time, and personal space for the sake of a child. Generosity implies giving up money and possessions to meet the needs of others. 

But Scripture invites us into something far deeper than giving up things. It calls us to give up ourselves. This is the heart of worship. 

Webster’s dictionary defines worship as “to regard with great or extravagant respect, honor, or devotion” which is helpful, but incomplete. True worship is not just admiration. It is the offering of not only our songs, but our priorities, our desires, our decisions, and our very identity. 

Join us this Sunday as we discover what genuine worship looks like and how it becomes a joyful giving of ourselves to the God who gave up everything for us. 

Our Turn with Guest Speaker David Nelms

The Timothy Initiative

“It’s my turn!” a child shouts from the top of the playground slide. After watching others race down the long curving slide with laughter and joy, he finally steps forward. He’s seen what’s possible and now it’s finally his moment. 

Scripture shows how God has been moving His story forward, generation after generation. From the very beginning, He has invited His people to step into what He is doing in the world. Each time, someone new takes their turn in the unfolding work of redemption. 

And now, it’s our turn. 

Join us this Sunday as we discover our place in God’s mission, exploring how we can faithfully step into His redemption story.