Refuge Church Ojai Valley

Zack and Diane Totten share how God’s calling doesn’t always look the way we imagined — but when we stay faithful to Him through every season, He illuminates our purpose in ways we’d never expect. #InOjaiAsItIsInHeaven #FaithInAction #Calling #Testimony #LightInTheValley

How do people like you and me actually make a difference? How do we help bring Heaven to earth? If God has us here for a purpose then how do we live out that purpose? #community #RCOV #ojai #god #faith #truth #Jesus #faith #onlinechurch

We let a lot of things name who we are and what our purpose is in life. Why do we give them that power? From the beginning of time God has been super clear about who we are and what our purpose is. Today is no different. When you follow Jesus you get a brand new vocation that trumps anything and everything the world offers. #vocation #mission #minssionallife #refugechurch #sermons #sermon #onlinechurch

Every one of the followers of Jesus is called to open our mouth and speak about God. It’s convenient, or maybe comfortable to pretend that it’s a pastor’s job or someone on social media’s job, but it's all of ours. We can pray for the shalom of our valley, but we also must speak and preach shalom to our valley. #community #RCOV #ojai #god #faith #truth #Jesus #faith #onlinechurch

How do we follow Jesus if we love the place we live in? How do we follow Jesus if we hate it? He is pretty clear that no matter our feelings, the followers of God have a path and a plan to follow in how to seek the Blessing and Peace of the place they find themselves in.

In the Psalms, there is one amazing psalm about God giving us rest beside a quiet stream in a green pasture, but there are over 100 references to us being in a WAR. So how do we actually live a life of spiritual combat? How do we stay ready?   #community #sermons #church

We don’t just hang out in Christian community. There is work to be done and a great deal of that work is us walking away from sin. We don’t do it on our own or in secret, but as the Ecclesia, we live life together being willing to confess our addictions to the world, crucify our selfish flesh, cancel our entanglements with evil and commit everything to Jesus.   #community #RCOV #ojai #god #faith #truth #Jesus #faith #onlinechurch

This week, we launch our new Ecclesia series looking at community. We all say we want community, friendship, relationship, etc… That makes sense to God and he actually has a design for what that looks like. The Called Out people of God are always people of community and relationship, but it probably looks differntly than you think. Today we dive into what it means for people to dive deep into God’s intentions for community and relationship.    #sermons #community #godsdesign

We’ve walked through Psalm 23 verse by verse—now, we get to see it come to life. This Sunday is Story Weekend, where real people from our church will share how God has personally shepherded them through some of their hardest seasons. Pain. Uncertainty. Hope restored. Come and hear powerful, honest stories of how the Good Shepherd has been present in the darkest valleys—and how He still leads, restores, and provides.    #faith #psalm23 #reallife #stories #testimony

Have you ever wondered what’s really following you through life? Stress? Regret? Pressure to perform? Psalm 23:6 offers a radical truth: it’s not fear that’s chasing you — it’s God’s goodness and mercy. In a world where we’re constantly looking over our shoulder, this verse flips the script. God isn’t just walking with us… His love is actively pursuing us — every step, every stumble, every season. God’s goodness isn’t just behind you — it’s ahead of you too.

As you start to know God and live life with God, he will quickly become much more than you realized. Your picture and perspective of Him will always be increasing and changing. As Psalm 23 starts wrapping up, the passage gives us a glimpse into just how good and great the character of God is.   #RCOV #ojai #god #psalm23 #faith #truth #Jesus #faith #onlinechurch

There is an absolute guarantee for anyone who breathes life on this earth: that guarantee is that they will face evil. This is no different for people who follow Jesus. Evil comes at us and it is real. The question everyone has to answer is, how will they deal with it? In Psalm 23, God gives us the perfect way to deal with it, where we not only find protection but actual hope.

The hardest part of following Jesus for a lot of people is letting Him lead. Jesus as our Shepherd sounds like a good idea, but then that actually means that we are sheep and we must follow. In today’s message, we dive into just how good of a shepherd he is and how it changes everything for us when we do surrender to Him.  #sermon #sermons #church #psalms #psalm23

Psalm 23 isn’t just a poem — it’s a prayer. A place to bring your silence, your struggle, your need. Who’s shaping what you say to yourself? Is it God? Or… the noise of the world, the lies of the enemy, the pull of your flesh? Today, we’re learning to pray when words feel far away. To practice giving everyone and everything to God. To linger long enough to actually receive His love. It starts now. Let’s shut out the noise. Let’s silence the enemy. Let’s give Him everything.    #psalm23 #sermon #sermonpodcast 

What does it mean to truly fear God—and why does Scripture say it's the beginning of wisdom? In this message by our guest speaker, Derry Brooks, we explore the powerful theme of the fear of the Lord throughout the Bible, from trembling at Mount Sinai to the blazing glory of Jesus in Revelation. You’ll discover how holy fear leads to life, obedience, blessing, and awe—not anxiety or shame. Join us as we reclaim a vision of God's holiness that humbles, empowers, and transforms. #feargod #fear #wisdom #knowledge #sermon #sermons

In this message, Derry Brooks shares how the fear of man—often subtle and disguised—can rob us of calling, courage, and authentic love. Drawing from Scripture, we explore how even bold leaders like Peter and Pilate caved to the pressure of people, and how this same fear distorts our identity today. Learn how the fear of man leads to shame, self-deception, and missed purpose—and how the fear of God is the only cure. This is a message for anyone who's ever hidden, hesitated, or held back because of what others might think.   #identity #sermon #sermons #onlinechurch #fearofman

If you see or experience something that changes your life, you probably tell a whole lot of people about it. That is what a witness is; people who experience something life changing or important and must tell others about it. What does your life witness to? How does Jesus play into that? This week we see that every Christian is called to be a witness and every Christian can only do that if the Holy Spirit is active and alive in leading them. #RCOV #ojai #god #holyspirit #prophesy #faith #truth #Jesus #faith

During Jesus’s life one of the things that attracted people to His message and mission was His willingness to heal people. After His ascension, the early church has story after story of miraculous healing.  What about today? Are healings still happening? Is God still moving this way? This week we dive deep into God’s gift of healing and what it is supposed to look like in the life of His people. 

A church service can be a pretty tame and predictable place. We know we are going to sing, hear a message, some prayers, and say hello to a few people. But what if a tame place is nothing what God had in mind when his people gathered.  What if he wanted it to be a place where His Spirit made people come alive, where heaven touched earth, and things changed that were never the same again. This week we look at prophecy and how its essential for a church to thrive. 

Are you good at spotting fakes? Can you see when someone or something or some advice that might look or sound good actually isn’t? When it comes to God it can be tough. We can think he is leading one way, but in the back of our minds we can be second guessing. Thankfully the gift of Discernment is there to lead us in this.  Discernment is not just a big word, but a must have for anyone seeking to know and follow Jesus well.