Last week we saw at the beginning of our new series called ONE, that we are united under one Lord. This week we look at how we are united by one faith. But what is that faith? What’s the essence of it? And how does that faith unite us in Christ? We will dive into all of that and more this Sunday in week two.

Jesus prayed that his followers would be one, even as he and the Father are one. When Paul writes to the church in Ephesus he emphasizes the oneness that we have in Christ. For the next four weeks, we are doing a deep dive into Ephesians 4:1-6 where Paul calls us to One Lord, One Faith, One Baptism, One God and Father of us all. In a time of a fracturing society and fracturing church, we need to do all we can to promote and live our oneness in Christ.

Jesus prayed that his followers would be one, even as he and the Father are one. When Paul writes to the church in Ephesus he emphasizes the oneness that we have in Christ. For the next four weeks, we are doing a deep dive into Ephesians 4:1-6 where Paul calls us to One Lord, One Faith, One Baptism, One God and Father of us all. In a time of a fracturing society and fracturing church, we need to do all we can to promote and live our oneness in Christ.

Dr. Steve Brown is a broadcaster, seminary professor, and author, as well as the founder and president of Key Life Network. Dr. Brown is a regular attendee here at OCC. He previously served as a pastor for over twenty-five years and now devotes much of his time to the radio broadcasts, Key Life and Steve Brown Etc. Dr. Steve Brown is the author of numerous books such as Talk the Walk, Three Free Sins, and When Being Good Isn't Good Enough. He was born and raised in Asheville, North Carolina. He received a B.A. in Philosophy and Religion from High Point College and received an S.T.B. degree from Boston University School of Theology. It was an honor and a blessing to have him as our guest speaker!

Every first Sunday of the year is when we remind ourselves of the mission and vision God has called us to at OCC. It is a chance to reinforce who we are and also to take a peek into the coming year and see the plans for the future.

This Morning we will hear from our guest speaker Chet Tokar. Chet is a longtime Central Florida resident who attends OCC. Prior to becoming a financial advisor, Chet spent many years as a pastor. On top of all that you can tell he is a devoted Steeler fan from his black and yellow Mustang.

Sermon Scripture: Luke 2:22-40

Mary and Joseph were devout in the practice of their faith. As a result, they took their newborn son to be dedicated to the Lord. Little did they know that two other godly people would confront them at the dedication and speak words about their son that were mysterious and wondrous at the same time. They were told that their son was appointed for the rising and falling of many. Clearly this was no typical child being dedicated to the Lord. The question is, will Jesus be the cause of your rising or your falling?

Sermon Scripture: Luke 2:1-21

All of history turns on the birth of Jesus into the world. Most calendars are based on starting from that event and deal with what came before and what comes after. While the birth of Jesus has a certain sweet nostalgia to it, the announcement to the shepherds about the birth of Jesus was earth-shattering. They were being told that something momentous and powerful, beyond their wildest imaginations, had just taken place. In order to fully grasp the power of the birth of Jesus, we will look at exactly what the angels told the shepherds and why those words may be the most important you hear this Christmas season.

Sermon Scripture: Luke 2:1-21

All of history turns on the birth of Jesus into the world. Most calendars are based on starting from that event and deal with what came before and what comes after. While the birth of Jesus has a certain sweet nostalgia to it, the announcement to the shepherds about the birth of Jesus was earth-shattering. They were being told that something momentous and powerful, beyond their wildest imaginations, had just taken place. In order to fully grasp the power of the birth of Jesus, we will look at exactly what the angels told the shepherds and why those words may be the most important you hear this Christmas season.