Lessons on Worship from a Teenager

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Summer Barbecue with friends at the Wooden Shoe Motel

Written by Mike Verkaik, Oceans Director of Missions & Outreach

About two weeks ago I had a wonderful visit with Jenna* at the motel. Jenna is 13 years old and loves Jesus. If I bring my speaker to play worship songs during dinner, Jenna will sit close by, singing softly along as she takes it all in.

Jenna loves to worship and due to the pandemic and hurt feelings, she has missed congregating with others since June 7. As the dinner came to a close she said to me, “Pastor Mike, I miss worshiping on Sunday, my parents have not wanted to attend lately.“

Jenna’s passion for worship brought me to the words written in Psalm 84:1-2.

How lovely is your dwelling place, LORD Almighty! My soul yearns, even faints, for the courts of the LORD; my heart and flesh cry out for the living God.

Last Sunday Jenna’s parents gave her permission to worship with us. Waiting in front of the motel to pick her up my wife, Dawn, saw some movement in the window curtain and her smiling face appeared. She entered our van with that same glowing face, saying, “ I woke up at 6am, I am so excited to go to church again.”

Driving away from the motel I had no idea what God was preparing to teach me through Jenna. This past week my wife, Dawn and I talked about our worship time with Jenna and wrote down five observations. I would like to share two of them with you.

First observation: Walking into the worship center that Sunday, I have to admit my disappointment when I realized the music was the piano and a couple of singers. My thoughts were, “Father, why is this the Sunday the worship band is not here. I want Jenna to experience the best our church has to offer.” As each song passed I quietly asked Jenna, “Do you know this song?” She shook her head no as she kept her eyes focused on the screen up front.

As Jenna and I talked after the service I began to apologize for the absence of the band and praise songs that she loves to sing. Before I could finish my explanation she spoke a dagger to my soul when she said, “ Pastor Mike it didn’t matter. It was just so good to be worshiping and I sang the words anyway!”

Second observation: Our children’s coordinator does a wonderful job of engaging kids with passion and creativity. As she came to the front she asked this question, “What do you do when you are scared, worried, or don’t know what tomorrow will bring? She went on saying, “When I am scared of the dark, I pull out my flashlight!!”

I am not sure if Jenna owns a flashlight or not, but after that statement she had a puzzled look on her face, and she leaned over and said, “Pastor Mike, when I am scared and worried, I pull out my Bible and begin to read it.” My heart melted as my face smiled, knowing Jenna had just speed dialed through all the examples and landed the main point before our coordinator did.

Oh the simplicity of worship. It is something God has had me grappling with for some time. Seeing Jenna’s heart for just being in His presence with His body is another in a series of examples God has given me of what authentic worship looks like. Worshiping in the townships of Africa, in the mountains of Colorado, and with a small body of people hungry for more of the Holy Spirit are all other examples of the body of believers moving away from being consumed by a product to being consumed by the beauty of God.

One thing I do know. This past Sunday I wanted Jenna to experience the best church our staff could offer. What she wanted was the best church our Father offers.

Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere.
Psalm 84:10


Jenna’s artwork on the Fruits of the Spirit.
  • Story used with permission and name has been changed.

Light the Fire Again!

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Yes, it is still winter in South Africa. Patty and I were able to get away for a few days and stay on a farm where the heater was a small wood burning fire place. My job was to keep the damp chill out from the rain by keeping the fire stocked and fueled. But as I got busy reading or watching the cows walk by I became lax and forgot about feeding the fire until the chill overtook the room. I looked back saw the fire was almost out and sprang to action quickly tossing in fresh fuel and hoping embers were hot enough to ignite a new flame.

To be honest, I loved every minute of it, and when the flame returned I felt a deep satisfaction and continually asked Patty what she thought of my fire. It also stoked a memory of a song we sang years ago called, Light the Fire Again, by Brian Doerksen. This powerful song comes directly from the mouth of Jesus spoken to the “lukewarm” church of Laodicea whose fire is about to be quenched (Rev. 3:14-22).

I found myself humming and singing the song again as I thought about how quickly the fire goes out if not attended to. How in so many ways the roaring fire of the Spirit is absent in our lives. How we have traded the comforts of culture for the all consuming fire of a Holy God. And yet in God’s amazing grace He is allowing this historic season we are in to cause us to feel the cold chill and the emptiness of our secular culture. The Spirit is seeking to awaken us to the reality that the fire is dwindling and the only One who can reignite the flame is the Sovereign Hand of our Savior.

I believe with all my heart that before Jesus returns there will be a revival fire that will consume the nations with His glory unlike anything before in history. He will light a fire in the hearts of those who are constantly seeking, calling out for Him with desperate prayers, and waiting with great anticipation for revival fires to fall on His Bride. This past weekend Father God reminded me not to give up but to continue to call out for Him to “light the fire again.”

Don’t let our love grow cold
I’m calling out light the fire again
Don’t let our vision die
I’m calling out light the fire again

You know my heart my deeds
I’m calling out light the fire again
I need Your discipline
I’m calling out light the fire again

I am here to buy gold refined in the fire
Naked and poor
Wretched and blind I come
Clothe me in white
So I won’t be ashamed
Lord light the fire again

Light the Fire Again!

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Yes, it is still winter in South Africa. Patty and I were able to get away for a few days and stay on a farm where the heater was a small wood burning fire place. My job was to keep the damp chill out from the rain by keeping the fire stocked and fueled. But as I got busy reading or watching the cows walk by I became lax and forgot about feeding the fire until the chill overtook the room. I looked back saw the fire was almost out and sprang to action quickly tossing in fresh fuel and hoping embers were hot enough to ignite a new flame.

To be honest, I loved every minute of it, and when the flame returned I felt a deep satisfaction and continually asked Patty what she thought of my fire. It also stoked a memory of a song we sang years ago called, Light the Fire Again, by Brian Doerksen. This powerful song comes directly from the mouth of Jesus spoken to the “lukewarm” church of Laodicea whose fire is about to be quenched (Rev. 3:14-22).

I found myself humming and singing the song again as I thought about how quickly the fire goes out if not attended to. How in so many ways the roaring fire of the Spirit is absent in our lives. How we have traded the comforts of culture for the all consuming fire of a Holy God. And yet in God’s amazing grace He is allowing this historic season we are in to cause us to feel the cold chill and the emptiness of our secular culture. The Spirit is seeking to awaken us to the reality that the fire is dwindling and the only One who can reignite the flame is the Sovereign Hand of our Savior.

I believe with all my heart that before Jesus returns there will be a revival fire that will consume the nations with His glory unlike anything before in history. He will light a fire in the hearts of those who are constantly seeking, calling out for Him with desperate prayers, and waiting with great anticipation for revival fires to fall on His Bride. This past weekend Father God reminded me not to give up but to continue to call out for Him to “light the fire again.”

Don’t let our love grow cold
I’m calling out light the fire again
Don’t let our vision die
I’m calling out light the fire again

You know my heart my deeds
I’m calling out light the fire again
I need Your discipline
I’m calling out light the fire again

I am here to buy gold refined in the fire
Naked and poor
Wretched and blind I come
Clothe me in white
So I won’t be ashamed
Lord light the fire again

A Place of Rest

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Pastor Nevson

Written by Patty Spykstra

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest…”
– Matthew 11:28

During these days of COVID and all the bombardment of social media we need this time of rest now more than ever.  As a Pastor’s wife I vividly recall the wonderful days of ministry and sharing life with people who became family. Together we worshipped, prayed, served, rejoiced and carried one another’s burdens. Together we planned and reached out to those who did not know a good Father, the sacrifice of Jesus for our sins, and experience the presence of the Holy Spirit. They are days I will always cherish. 

As Oceans Retreat Center became a reality we knew we wanted to create a place for ministry leaders to rest and be healed. I will never forget the times when a cabin was offered in the mountains or on the beach. It was such a breath of fresh air, a time to experience peace and letting go of the cares of ministry, to let the arms of a loving Savior embrace my husband and our family. 

So it was a JOY it was to offer Pastor Nevson the opportunity to stay in a flat/apartment for a quiet time of reflection, prayer, study and renewal.  Pastor Nevson serves a congregation in the local township and lives in a shack with his wife and four boys. Pastor Nevson was most grateful for the rest and refreshment he encountered.  Hopefully he can come back at another time with his family. 

What a JOY it was to have Busi and her four boys stay at Oceans Retreat Center. It was particularly special as Busi’s mom is Thobeka, who lives and works on campus. Thobeka and daughter Sunny planned a hike up Elsie’s Peak complete with snacks to enjoy. They all loved jumping waves at the beach, playing in the sand, and sharing quality family. It was so fun to be able to join them for dinner one evening and hear the laughter. We wish Bulelani could have come as well; hopefully he enjoyed a few moments of rest in the midst meetings.

Busi & the boys

We would love to have YOU come to rest here at Oceans Retreat Center for a time of renewal, or if you can’t catch a flight, we pray you can experience the Father’s love and rest somewhere close by. I know I still need this time to leave the burdens of the day in His hands and receive His rest.

Do You Believe in Miracles?

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Josh (the paramedic) & Steve Budnack

In a world bombarded with negative news it is vital for us to hear stories of God’s miraculous intervention. Steve Budnack’s life has been an amazing blessing to so many people over the years. He loves his family deeply, cares for the poor and needy as a full time volunteer leading Parker Task Force an amazing food bank in Parker Colorado. He has been a true friend & prayer partner to me as well as serving on the board of Oceans Ministries International in South Africa. I’m praising the LORD that Steve is still with us today and I asked him to share his story to encourage you to keep putting your life in the hands of the faithful Savior Jesus Christ.

I had just finished a 3 ½ mile run and came home for lunch. At that moment it felt like an elephant was sitting on my chest.  I subconsciously knew what was happening however, I didn’t want to believe it was happening to me. My daughter noticed that I was having chest pains and “Googled” heart attacks to try and see if what was happening could be serious. She read off the symptoms to me and with each symptom I mentally checked off each box, my worst nightmare was coming true. I was having a heart attack. 

If I was at home by myself I would have fought the pain longer before probably driving myself to the hospital, which would have been fatal. Thankfully I wasn’t alone, and instead I had my daughter call 911 and the paramedics were at my house in minutes. The smartest decision that I ever made was to have my child call 911 instead of driving to the hospital. It took the paramedics only 10 minutes to get me to the hospital and they began working on me immediately. A staff of ten were waiting for me at the hospital which was a blessing because I went into cardiac arrest. Once again, if I would have driven myself, I would not have made it.

The day after my heart attack I was still in the hospital and a couple of emergency room employees stopped by my room to let me know that while I was in cardiac arrest, they lost me for 12 seconds. They told me that the heart attack I had was the “Widow Maker” with 100% blockage and only a small percentage of individuals survive this type of heart attack. The cardiologist came by and said that I was extremely fortunate to still be here, and she had hope that I still should be able to live a long life. She mentioned that my toughest obstacle was dealing with the fact that I’m still alive after having a widow maker and being gone for that short period of time.

I truly believe that one of the reasons that the ambulance got me to the hospital in such a short amount of time was that when they were loading me in, I advised the medic that I had five children and to keep me alive. The reason why I mention this now after my heart attack is that one of the paramedics, Josh, stopped by my house to check on me this week. When he had gotten to the house the day of the heart attack and realized how bad of shape I was, him and the other paramedic really pushed the limits on getting me to the hospital because they knew I had children. 65 minutes is all it took from when Josh’s crew came to my home and to when I was out of surgery. That was a key to why I’m still here.

I’m still trying to work through how I survived. I truly believed it was a miracle and that God has bigger plans for me. I would like to thank everyone for their prayers, I definitely needed them and could feel the love.  

“I love the LORD because He hears and answers my prayers. Because He bends down and listens I will pray as long as I have breath! Death had its hands around my throat…Then I called on the name of the LORD ‘Please save me!’ How kind the LORD is! How good He is! So merciful, this God of ours!” Psalm 116:1-4.