|
Menu
|
 Jean-Paul Chenette
I am the founding pastor-teacher of
Oakbrook Bible Church. Growing up in
Woodland Hills, California (I graduated
from El Camino Real High School), I
was a typical guy like any other guy,
living for myself and doing whatever I
liked to do, unfortunately without regard
much of the time for how my actions
affected others. After High School, one
of my older sisters (I have three older sisters) became a Christian through the ministry of Dr. John MacArthur and Grace Community Church. She started sharing her faith with me all the time (it so annoyed me), and she simply challenged me to examine my own faith, which I did. I always believed that I had faith in Jesus and that I really loved Him until I started reading the Bible and realized that my faith was not a living, surrendered, "willing to be obedient" faith. It was dead (James 2), and my love was really just a love for myself and all my own personal desires. As a result, for the first time in my life I believed that I was not a child of God, and based on my actions, apparently I didn't really care to be a child of God. God and the Bible just got in the way of my own pursuits. When I realized how self-centered I really was, I realized that God would send me to hell and that hell existed for people like me who loved sin more than they loved God and people. That thought gripped me like an iron vice, and I couldn't sleep. I finally surrendered my life late one night sitting on my bed, through painful tears, and told Jesus that I would follow Him, but that He would have to give me the strength to endure the changes and challenges that my new life would bring. I started attending Grace Church in October of 1987, and then realized that I actually had a desire to teach and to preach. After I was married, I returned to school to pursue a Master's of Divinity degree. I attended Pierce College, The Master's College, and finally graduated from The Master's Seminary (Master's of Divinity, with my Doctorate from TMS now in process). My wife Kristi (my best friend and my love!) and I were married, and soon blessed with three precious children, and then we adopted two more from Haiti. My love for my family is everything to me, and for them I voluntarily die daily. Oakbrook was started with the simple goal of making a difference for Christ by teaching His word and shepherding His people. The Scottish preacher Robert Murray McCheyne said that it is not so much great talent that God blesses, but likeness to Jesus. In that we hope and trust.
If you have any questions regarding this church or this web-site, please contact me. I will gladly respond as time permits.
Jean-Paul
|
|
|
|
805.512.9660
Pastor-Teacher