A brief update on the Oaks family including prayer request.

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Letting the Gospel redefine our measures of success.

How will they hear?
And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent?
Romans 10:14-15

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Ambition:

It's not "IF" we have ambitions, but "WHAT" are we ambitious for

All ambitions orient to deeper desires that are often veiled to us. For example:

A desire to win the 5K might be rooted in a destructive sibling rivalry.
A desire for organization might be connected to a fear of loss.

Like the summit of a mountain, the object of an ambition is obscured (by distance, time, knowledge etc.) to those in pursuit.

This "obscuring" can be helpful when it fosters innovation, problem solving, and leadership. It is part of our God given passion to create. We see a rainbow and wonder where it lands.

As we approach success; the obscured goal progressively clarifies. When success is achieved, we experience truth. Ex: A hunger for tacos brings you to the moment of "crunch", the result is either pleasure or disappointment. Ironically, our expectations and the results always vary.

Even in ideal situations the final moment is short lived. It's the law of "Diminishing Returns". Life is full of these micro-goals. Mundane moments reflecting our deeper desires for beauty, order, love, peace, joy, etc.

Problems arise when we mistake a micro-goal for something sustainable. Ex: thinking the taco will solve hunger forever. It will feel real for a moment, but the benefits will dissolve.

The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever. - Isaiah 40:8

When God slips beyond preeminent in life, then good things (food, family, work, money, health, etc.) prove to be unsustainable substitutes to our deeper desires. Their capacity to satisfy eventually fades and we can feel lost or abandoned. The result is an endless pursuit of untethered ambitions.

We have two choices: Self-Governance or Submission

In self-governance: our experiences (feelings) dictate the narrative. Much like navigating a ship by clouds. This feels good in the moment and success is subjective (temporary).
In submission: we align ambition with external truth. This often includes delayed gratification and success is objective (eternal).

Either way loss is baked in. We can experience loss of expectations when reality bites... OR experience loss as we practice submission. In theological circles this is practicing the "Already and Not Yet". Living by what has not yet arrived. Kinda like smiling cause you know what is under the Christmas tree :).

GOOD NEWS - you can have your cake and eat too:
When we submit our ambitions to an eternal truth, we can experience joy at the beginning and end of our ambitions. This requires a surrender of our daily endeavors to God's story.

Consider Jesus' teachings on prayer: "Father, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. - Matthew 6:10

"Seek God, He will tune your heart's desire to his heart" (Psalm 37).

Submitting to a gospel narrative does two things.

It gives us assurance that change is not greater that hope.
We are freed to embrace risk. Freed to win, fail, love, suffer, and repent.

CHANGE IS COMING It's a choice between the illusion of control or submission.

"For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known." - 1 Corinthians 13:12

Birmingham - March 18th

We will host another lunch in Birmingham on March 18th at Thrive Coworking. This is another step forward in our strategic goal to build a two-way bridge between Christian community and the Marketplace. Here is a pic from our last luncheon.

We will post registration information in next month's update.

Roswell - February 19th

We will host another lunch in Roswell on February 19th at Nexus Coworking. This is connected to a larger system of luncheons ranging from Alpharetta to Duluth. By faith we can build a community that extends the gospel into unreached sections of the marketplace. Here is a link to the event.

Next steps - Prayer needed

Please pray as we explore creative paths for discipleship in the marketplace. Our recent engagements in the Coworking environment have fostered new opportunities to go deeper with the gospel. By faith we will have a strategic path to these opportunities within the next 90 days.

Join the Team

Our ability to proclaim Christ in unreached areas of the Marketplace depends on the support of others.

Your one-time or monthly support equips Marketplace Ministry to proclaim Christ to community leaders beyond the reach of the local Church.

The goal is to build a network of chaplains that engage a broad range of communities.

Prayer Request

As mentioned above, we are designing a system of groups that could engage the marketplace beyond our existing endeavors and open the door for other chaplains. This is part of our larger desire to foster a network of chaplains who can proclaim Christ in a broad range of communities nationwide.

We are grateful to the PRCC (The multi-denominational chaplaincy arm of the PCA), our AMAZING Board of Directors, and the many friends who support us. We cannot do it without you.

Grateful

We know support comes in many forms. We cannot pioneer marketplace ministry without you. Thank you for your support. You are loved and we are grateful.
His Grace is enough.

Brian and Heather Oaks

340 Silver Oaks Court

Roswell, Georgia 30075

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