Living Stones Church - Crown Point: Recent Episodes
Living Stones Church
Living Stones started out in 1981 as a small group gathering designed to strengthen marriages and families and soon exploded into an ever-growing family of people who were hungry for more of God! We are now celebrating over thirty-five years of life-changing ministry in Northwest Indiana. For help, email us at podcasts@lstones.org.
Website: https://www.lstones.orgFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/lstoneschurchInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/lstoneschurch
Website: https://www.lstones.orgFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/lstoneschurchInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/lstoneschurch
Stay Connected:Website: https://www.lstones.orgFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/lstoneschurchInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/lstoneschurch
Stay Connected:Website: https://www.lstones.orgFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/lstoneschurchInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/lstoneschurch
Stay Connected:Website: https://www.lstones.orgFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/lstoneschurchInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/lstoneschurch
Stay Connected:Website: https://www.lstones.orgFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/lstoneschurchInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/lstoneschurch
Stay Connected:Website: https://www.lstones.orgFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/lstoneschurchInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/lstoneschurch
Stay Connected:Website: https://www.lstones.orgFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/lstoneschurchInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/lstoneschurch
For more information on Brother Ivan Tait's Ministry, go to What Matters Ministries and Missions (whatmattersmm.org)
Pastor Andrew Meng shares today on how God actually cares about our emotions! Pastor Andrew is continuing our series of hearing testimonies and perspectives from our staff pastors here.
Pastor David Santana, our Pastor and Director of Life Groups, continues this series to share on what it means to run with the vision!
Marriage and Family Pastor Jerry Harvey shares some of his testimony and how God has shown His faithfulness through his life!
Stay Connected: Website: https://www.lstones.org Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lstoneschurch Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lstoneschurch
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Stay Connected: Website: https://www.lstones.org Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lstoneschurch Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lstoneschurch
This podcast is powered by Pinecast.
Pastor Ron kicks off our Fast Forward series talking about the biblical basis for fasting!
Pastor Ron's son, Ronnie Johnson joins us as a very special guest to speak on being influenced by God. What could happen if we truly believed in the power of the Holy Spirit?
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Pastor Ron closes our Overcomer series with the message of spiritual warfare found in the Christmas story.
We are in week 4 of our series, Overcomer. Pastor Ron dives into a beautiful message about the blood of Christ and how to apply it to our lives and live in freedom through the work Jesus did on the cross.
We are diving into week 3 of our series, "Overcomer"
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Today Pastor Ron kicks off our new series "Overcomer"He will be diving deep into intersection and what that looks like in our daily lives.
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Today we honor our Celebrate Recovery team for 10 life-changing years of ministry. Pastor Ron honors them by sharing a stand alone message about how God can turn our mess into a ministry.
Join us for the last week in our series, Trustworthy, as Pastor Andrew Meng dives into God's word.
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Today Pastor Ron kicks off a new series titled "Trustworthy"
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Today is the last week of our series, Tell Me Some Stories. Pastor Andrew shares how important relationships are in our lives.
Today we dive into week 4 of our series, highlighting the story of the thief on the cross, and God's grace towards him.
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Join us for week 3 of our series "Team Me Some Stories" with guest speaker, Pastor Aaron Brown.
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In week 2 of our series "Tell Me Some Stories" we hear a testimony of one of our members, and how someone's testimony can show us who God is and what he can do in our lives.
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Today Pastor Ron shares a message in the last week of our current series, King and Country.
This morning we welcome Apostle John Tetsola, talking about how to deal with the spirit of weariness.
This morning we welcome Apostle John Tetsola, talking about how to deal with the spirit of weariness.
Freedom Sunday 2023 message. Pastor Ron talks about our country, freedom, and biblical liberties.
Happy Mother's Day! This week, guest speaker Pastor Marion Johnson shares a message in the fourth week of our series, For King and Country.
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Today Pastor Ron begins a new series called "For King and Country". Talking through the main message of Jesus: The Kingdom of God.
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This morning we welcome guest speaker Seth Gruber as he talks through the sanctity of life and calls the church to action. Seth Gruber is the founder and president of The White Rose Resistance, a non-profit organization whose mission is to be a voice for unborn children.
This Easter Sunday, Pastor Ron finishes our series, Remarkable, with the miraculous resurrection of our Lord and Savior.
This Good Friday, Pastor Ron preaches about the crucifixion of our Lord, as well as the sacrifice of one particular follower of Jesus.
Special guest Ivan Tait implores us to equip ourselves with spiritual weapons so we can fight the enemy with confidence, skill, and spiritual authority.Part 2 dives into 6 various weapons to fight the enemy with.
Special guest Ivan Tait implores us to equip ourselves with spiritual weapons so we can fight the enemy with confidence, skill, and spiritual authority.
Today Pastor Ron is preaching out of the gospel of Mark chapter 9, in week 10 of our series, Remarkable.
Today Pastor Ron is preaching out of the gospel of Mark chapter 8, in week 9 of our series, Remarkable.
Today Pastor Ron talks about being offended with Jesus. Luke 7:23 says, "Blessed [joyful, spiritually favored] is he who does not take offense at Me."When you are offended with Christ, you are separated from your ability to receive forgiveness. Pastor talks through 5 ways people get offended and how to avoid those 5 areas.
Today Pastor Aaron talks through 3 miracles that Jesus performed with his disciples. Pastor Aaron reminds us that when we deal with storms in our lives, we always want Jesus in our boat.
This week, Pastor Andrew will be picking up in Mark 3 to talk about Jesus on the Balance Beam. If Jesus was able to walk the balance between Grace and Truth, without falling to either side, how do we walk behind Him?
Today Pastor Ron talks about why Jesus was hated for doing what he came to earth to do.
Pastor Ron takes ideas you have have grown up in church knowing, and gives a fresh and biblical perspective to how Jesus did ministry here on Earth.
Thank you for listening to our Christmas Morning service as we begin our next series: Remarkable: Seeing the Glory of Christ Through the Eyes of Mark.
From all of us at Living Stones, we hope you had an amazing Christmas Sunday!
This is the last message in the series: Bringing Jesus to Work. Pastor Ron wraps up this message commissioning our church to focus on workplace ministry.
Coram Deo means "Living before the face of God". God protects us, he sees us, and all of life is performed before God, Coram Deo. Pastor Ron talks on living to please God.
Did you know that out of the 40 miracles documented in the book of Acts, only one was performed inside the four walls of the church? This week Pastor Ron shares how the Marketplace is where ministry needs to happen.
The Church: A Meeting or a Movement
This week, Pastor Ron talks through bringing Jesus to the marketplace and the impact we can have through strong relationships.
Todays message is the final part of a 2 part series on choosing biblical leaders this election season.
Today Pastor Ron talks about why Christians need to be in prayerful pursuit of Jesus during this election season.
Do you want the instant gratification of what will satisfy you in the moment, or look beyond today to inherit your heavenly birthright? This week, Pastor Aaron Brown walks us through the story of Jacob & Esau.
In this episode, Keith Hodges shares how to Choose a Life worthy of our Lord and Savior.
Jesus came to restore our broken humanity and to model for us what a human being, made in the image and likeness of God, should look and act. Jesus is the standard, the model, for humanity. Jesus came to show us who we truly are. Jesus is the image of God, and we are made in His image.
Being made in the image of God means that we are created in freedom. We have the ability to make choices, and with great freedom comes great responsibility. Unfortunately, Adam and Eve totally bombed the Freedom Test. After the Fall, humans are still made in God’s image, but sin has distorted the image.
We have been made in the “likeness” of God. This means God, from the very beginning, created us for the purpose and potential of relationship. There is something very awesome and spectacular about ME… and YOU! We have the privilege of sharing likeness with God. Human freedom means we have the privilege of partnership with God as we carry out His purposes and work to create a Christ-exalting culture.
God exists in perfect relationship. The Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit are all active in the creation of the world. God does not create out of need; He is not bored or lonely. He creates out of overflow! God is like a fountain that cannot be contained and must overflow. We were not created on the basis of need; God has no needs. Rather, we are important to God Himself… for all eternity.
This week Pastor Ron dives into the disillusions our culture is creating around male and female genders.
By designating humanity the image of God, Genesis conveys royal authority on us. Responsible stewards manage their master’s possessions carefully. As human beings we are answerable to the great King for how we fulfil this creation calling. God is pleased with good work, and displeased with shoddy, lazy, or poorly executed work. "Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. Remember that the Lord will give you an inheritance as your reward, and that the Master you are serving is Christ." Colossians 3:23-24 NLT
"So God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them." Genesis 1:26-27 NLT We have been created in the image and likeness of God, and we exist to mirror and reflect the image of God in the earth. In today's sermon, find out that that means for you!
God is so incredibly awesome in and of Himself, He doesn't contain it in Himself. He's reveals Himself all around us.
We don't just want the Holy Spirit to visit us. We want the Holy Spirit to be a welcomed guest who finds His home in us. How do we position ourselves to become the resting place of the Most High? In John 14:23, Jesus said, "Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them." In the greatest commandment (Love the Lord with all your heart, soul, mind and strength - Mark 12:29-30) is the key to position ourselves to be the resting place of the Holy Spirit. But what does it really mean to love God will all your heart, mind and strength? Find out in today's message.
"So you should earnestly desire the most helpful gifts. But now let me show you a way of life that is best of all." - I Corinthians 12:31 NLT
Paul tells us to “earnestly desire spiritual gifts” (I Corinthians 14:1), but he prefaces that commandment with this one – “pursue love.”
“Let love be your greatest aim.” (TLB)
The testimonies of your personal encounter with the Lord will help others encounter the same Holy Spirit. Our children must first hear and see the testimonies in our lives as they develop and cultivate their own experiences with God.
Obed-Edom is a Levite. As such he is very familiar with all things associated with worship. He knew the Ark was to be carried on the shoulders of the Levites. Instead of fearing the Ark of the Covenant, he welcomes God’s Presence into his home. He considers hosting the Presence to be an exceptional honor.
Men, will you consider the offer to host God’s presence in your home a great privilege?
Our main priority in life is to minister to the Lord, and out of that encounter and overflow, we minister to the needs of others. We do this through our unhindered, heart-felt, passionate worship of all that He is. This is our fundamental act of obedience. David said, “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name!” - Psalm 103:1
The Twin enemies of the Spirit-led life is license - the abuse of freedom through immoral living and causal disregard of the commandments of God, and legalism - the unhealthy focus on strict conformity to laws and rules. So how we do we avoid these traps and keep in step with the call of the Holy Spirit? Here is a hint - your walk will always reflect what you desire most.
Christ has set us free, and when we walk in the power of the Holy Spirit, we abide in freedom! Romans 8:14-17.
In Jesus’ kingdom, it’s the last, the least, and the looked over who become the first, the favored, and the focus of attention! (See Matthew 20:16) Mary, among other daughters of God, is a picture of the overwhelming grace of God being extended to the unworthy, the broken, and the forgotten.
In each of the gospel writer’s accounts, Jesus gives his fearful unbelieving band of disciples a crazy, big, audacious mission! Jesus did not coddle them, He commissioned them! He spoke destiny to them. He challenged them. He believed in them in spite of their weakness and immaturity. He tells them to go into all nations to make disciples! "Once when he was eating with them, he commanded them, “Do not leave Jerusalem until the Father sends you the gift he promised, as I told you before. 5 John baptized with water, but in just a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” Acts 1:4-5 NLT
It is time to get serious about hosting the Holy Spirit! And while we love and honor the written Word of God, the Scriptures were never meant to replace a personal relationship with the Holy Spirit. Like the Pharisees, we are often more comfortable with theological ideas and principles than we are with having a personal relationship with the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. “If the Holy Spirit is a divine person and we do not know him as such, then we are robbing a divine being of the worship and the faith and the love and the surrender to Himself which are His due.” - R.A. Torrey
On Easter Sunday we celebrate the ultimate victory over shame as Christ triumphs over death and the cross and resurrected in honor! "Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne." -Hebrews 12:2
The battle between walking in shame and walking in vulnerability is the battle to walk in the kingdom of the world vs. walking in the kingdom of God. This week, we talk about how we must develop a lifestyle free from Shame. Jesus gave us the road map to this lifestyle as he engaged the Samaritan women at the well. Today, we discuss the 3 lessons we learn from Christ as He engaged in vulnerability and in love with this precious woman.
King David, through his covenantal love for Jonathan, showed unbelievable mercy and grace to Jonathan's son Mephibosheth. In the midst of Mephibosheth's shame, David demonstrated Christ's intent and power to set him free.
In the midst of shame, God Himself chooses to see us and know us. Through the story of Hagar, God shows us that He pursues us through the pains of the abandonment of shame!
Jesus didn't just overcome shame, He removed it and restored to us our true identity. This week, we talk about how Jesus demonstrates His great love for us when He invites us to overcome our shame. But we aren't doing it alone. He joins us for the journey.
To overcome shame, we have to go the one place shame doesn't want us to go: a place of vulnerability. In today's message, we talk about how the true superhero we need is not superman, but Vulnerable man embodied in Christ, and how His life modeled a life of intimacy, connection, and vulnerability that gave us a blueprint out of shame and into freedom!
In the temptation of Jesus, the devil used shame to attack Jesus's identity. The devil used schemes that are familiar to all of us: the performance trap, the popularity trap and the possession trap. Jesus, like us, faced the onslaught of shame, but overcame the temptation and in the process gave all of us a template on how to have victory like Him!
This week, we'll dive deeper into the power of story telling, and how shame twists our perspective to turn us against God and others. We'll also talk about how shame's power lies in its subtle suggestion that we are not enough and that we are not valuable. We ask you to carefully consider the question: who is writing your story; God or Shame?
There is a story that God is always trying to tell us, but Satan also has his story. In week 1 of our series, we focus on the story that Satan tries to tell us. Satan's story always follows the same plot; It starts with sin (yours or someone else's), which leads to guilt (feeling bad for what you DID), and unless there is intervention - it inevitably leads to shame (feeling bad for who you are). But God also has a story, and His story is told through Jesus, our redeemer!
In week 4 of our series, we will focus on the final R that Jesus gifted His disciples in order to grow them - Responsibility! How does responsibility, when given the right way, at the right time, catalyze our growth? Find out in today's message.
In week 3 of our series, we focus on the power of relationships to grow our hearts, our emotions, our habits, and our gifts. What are the 3 relationships you must have to grow, and how do they actually make you grow? Is using people to grow us God's plan B? Or has it always been God's plan to use people to cause us to grow?
In week 2 of our series, we will focus on the 1st "R" that Jesus gave His disciples to help them grow - Revelations!
The New Years is a time when we focus on growth and personal development, but the reality is that most people give up their resolution in a few weeks. Why is growth so hard? In our current series, we will address why Growth is at the heart of the gospel and why it is the mission for Living Stones Church. We will also talk about how counting the cost is crucial to growing and why confusing learning and growing keeps us from reaching our potential. Join us for our series for we are committed to help you grow in 2022!
We close off 2021 with a time of blessings, thanksgiving, testimonies and taking Communion together!
"26 In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a village in Galilee, 27 to a virgin named Mary. She was engaged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of King David. 28 Gabriel appeared to her and said, “Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you!”
Mary was a virgin, so how could she conceive? This is the way the natural world works. But God is the God of the supernatural! And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” (ESV) When our hearts are pure to take the Lord at His word, and to believe He will do what he says he will do, we are blessed!
Doubt comes in many shapes and forms. It doesn't matter how righteous or obedient you are, no one is spared from the attack of doubt. The question is not if, but when doubt will attack your faith in God and in His goodness. So how do we guard our hearts in the midst of doubt's onslaught? Let's take a look at the journey of Zechariah and his wife Elizabeth, as well as Mary the mother of Jesus. Let's see how the Lord used their stories to show us how to guard our heart when we face unbelief.
Storms are times of spiritual darkness and doubt. Storms create a feeling of disorientation and confusion. These are times when we feel as through God is hiding His face from us! Should we interpret the storm as a sign of God’s displeasure or absence? Does the sun keep on its course even when the skies are gray and overcast? Does the sun still shine even when I cannot see it? Could not the same be said of the everlasting love and faithfulness of God?! We are foolish to conclude in December that the flowers that were blooming in May are no longer there! We cannot see them; it’s not their season. Even so, let’s strengthen our hearts with the goodness of God in the midst of life’s storms!
How do we guard our hearts when we look all around us and see the wicked prosper and the righteous suffer and struggle? Here is the truth: Envy evaporates when we gain Eternal perspective through the presence of God. Text: Psalm 73
As we approach our seasonal Thanksgiving holiday, we are encouraged to pause and to offer thanks to the Lord for the many blessings He has given to us.
In seasons of special blessing the need to guard our hearts would not seem to be as urgent. Hard times often encourage us to press in to seek the Lord. But when times are good, when the pain is a distant memory, when the lean season becomes a season of plenty, Satan employs a different strategy. We become satisfied and self-sufficient. How do we maintain prosperity with passion and purpose? How do we guard our hearts in this season?
Life is filled with seasons, and each season is different. Since each season often comes with its own temptation or demonic scheme, it necessitates its own strategy for guarding our hearts. The big temptation is to complain during these seasons of scarcity, but Paul admonishes us in Phil 4:12 - "I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, plenty or little." How do we keep out hearts free from complaining and fear when our outward needs are in short supply or worse yet, missing altogether? Find out in today's message.
It is the great business of every believer to keep and guard the heart through every season of life. Your heart is the very core, the center, of your inner being.
Even as a healthy physical heart is the core of one’s health and well-being, so the spiritual heart regulates the condition of our soul.
Last week we highlighted the truth that since the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2), we have been given great hope that God will continue to pour out the Holy Spirit upon His Church to empower her to fulfill the mission she has been given. But Pentecost was not a one-time, isolated event. We should pray for and expect great outpourings of the Holy Spirit until Christ returns! Today we will talk about the manifestation of God's presence - and that the Kingdom of God advances through revival!
Our God is a God of power through His Holy Spirit. He has poured out His spirit in amazing measures in the past, so why wouldn't He move again?
“Our view of revival shapes how we live. If revival is a pointless demonstration of religious fervor, we live to avoid it. If it is an emergency fix for the church, we sometimes seek it only when things get bad. But if revival moves history toward Jesus’ return, we do everything we can to live for the next wave.” - Mark Nysewander
Our God is a God who keeps His promises. As we look over the scriptures, we can see an abundance of great promises that have been kept, and will be kept by God. Today, in the midst of a tumultuous culture in America, we must know that it is not the newspaper headlines nor the billionaires who set the agenda for planet Earth. Instead, we must fix our eyes on the incredible promises of God and the global triumph of the Gospel in all human history!
We are blessed to have Pastor Mike Frie join us this Sunday to share a message about partnering with God in the harvest! What does it mean to work alongside our Lord to love and serve others? Find out in today's message!
“He answered one of them, ‘Friend, I haven’t been unfair! Didn’t you agree to work all day for the usual wage? Take your money and go. I wanted to pay this last worker the same as you. Is it against the law for me to do what I want with my money? Should you be jealous because I am kind to others?’ Matthew 20:13-15
Hope is built on Truth, and the great Truth of God brings us stability and strength! The great truth is this: God is large and in charge. In today's message we talk about the theology of hope that is found in the providence of God, both over the world and over our personal lives!
"You alone are the Lord. You made the skies and the heavens and all the stars. You made the earth and the seas and everything in them. You preserve them all, and the angels of heaven worship you." Nehemiah 9:6 NLT
When God made the world, He gave man a powerful commission: to take over for God's glory. Through the death and resurrection of Christ, we are RE-Commissioned to the same mission! Today's message clarifies what it means for true reformation of our world through the saving gospel of Jesus Christ and that we are to proclaim His Lordship in every area of life.
What is the mission and calling of God’s covenant people in history? Does the Church have a bright future in history? Are Christians really called to transform culture? The answer is a resounding yes! Our creator and Lord Jesus does not inhabit our world, but rather we inhabit His world! And this is our response: joyful submission to His leadership.
"Everything in the heavens and on earth is yours, O Lord, and this is your kingdom. We adore you as the one who is over all things." - I Chronicles 29:11 NLT
How should we, as believers, live our lives in what is becoming an increasingly godless public square, where people are becoming hostile toward the worldview of the Bible? What is the mission and calling of God’s covenant people in history? Does the Church have a bright future in history? Are Christians really called to transform culture? In short, what is the mission of God and what part do we have to play? Join us for our next series: Undefeated, as we discuss the proper role of God's people in our world today, and why more than ever, we need to make sure we are living in His Kingdom.
This week we will focus on honoring and blessing God for His covenantal faithfulness followed by communion at the end of the message.
How do we build and protect in a way that glorifies God and leaves the kind of lasting legacy God desires? We often err from 2 perspectives - we either do it all or we do nothing. But how do we allow God to truly build our homes? Find out in today's message!
Ivan Tait is uniquely gifted in communication and revealing the heart of God. He has spent his life reading and studying the Scriptures and shares God's truth with surgical precision. For over 40 years, he has traveled the world, speaking in churches, conferences and lectures on all subjects related to Christianity. Ivan is highly respected for his ability to release people from their burdens, minister to brokenness, and see hardened hearts come to Jesus. He provides oversight and guidance for pastors and churches and finds great fulfillment as an author, missionary, evangelist, husband, and father. Ivan, his wife, Kimberly, and their children have dedicated their lives to ministering relevant truth to the body of Christ, rescuing orphans and widows, and feeding the poor.
Ivan Tait is uniquely gifted in communication and revealing the heart of God. He has spent his life reading and studying the Scriptures and shares God's truth with surgical precision. For over 40 years, he has traveled the world, speaking in churches, conferences and lectures on all subjects related to Christianity. Ivan is highly respected for his ability to release people from their burdens, minister to brokenness, and see hardened hearts come to Jesus. He provides oversight and guidance for pastors and churches and finds great fulfillment as an author, missionary, evangelist, husband, and father. Ivan, his wife, Kimberly, and their children have dedicated their lives to ministering relevant truth to the body of Christ, rescuing orphans and widows, and feeding the poor.
Ivan Tait is uniquely gifted in communication and revealing the heart of God. He has spent his life reading and studying the Scriptures and shares God's truth with surgical precision. For over 40 years, he has traveled the world, speaking in churches, conferences and lectures on all subjects related to Christianity. Ivan is highly respected for his ability to release people from their burdens, minister to brokenness, and see hardened hearts come to Jesus. He provides oversight and guidance for pastors and churches and finds great fulfillment as an author, missionary, evangelist, husband, and father. Ivan, his wife, Kimberly, and their children have dedicated their lives to ministering relevant truth to the body of Christ, rescuing orphans and widows, and feeding the poor.
Ivan Tait is uniquely gifted in communication and revealing the heart of God. He has spent his life reading and studying the Scriptures and shares God's truth with surgical precision. For over 40 years, he has traveled the world, speaking in churches, conferences and lectures on all subjects related to Christianity. Ivan is highly respected for his ability to release people from their burdens, minister to brokenness, and see hardened hearts come to Jesus. He provides oversight and guidance for pastors and churches and finds great fulfillment as an author, missionary, evangelist, husband, and father. Ivan, his wife, Kimberly, and their children have dedicated their lives to ministering relevant truth to the body of Christ, rescuing orphans and widows, and feeding the poor.
In Psalm 51, as we all know, King David speaks from one of his greatest failures – one which was publicly chronicled for everyone to read. David’s mistakes included adultery, murder, abuse of power, and of course, deception. In this tremendous place of brokenness, David became an everyman. He is speaking as a broken man who longs for redemption.
Can you relate to this place, where you have had to face your brokenness? What do we do?
In Psalm 51, David shared this journey with us, so let’s hear what lessons we can learn from David's confrontation with His brokenness, and how Jesus still heals today.
What does it mean to be a person planted by streams of water, who produces awesome fruit and does not wither when adversity comes? Come find out in today's message
This week we dive into the insights given to us in Psalm 27 in facing our biggest enemy; Fear. This Psalm shows us 3 ways we overcome fear; we war with our Words, we win with Worship, and we wait in Hope. You don't want to miss this week's message!
This week we dive into David's insight into a God who knows us deeply. We will talk about our desire to be known. Why did God place this desire in us? What does our desire to be known have to do with our desire for intimacy?
Finally, what does disobedience have to do with a heart that doesn't believe that God knows him or her deeply? Through Christ, God has given us the gift of being known, and we need to steward it correctly. How can we give the gift of being known to our wives, husbands, and kids and not lose their hearts? Find out in today's message.
Text: Psalm 139
Join us for our new series: PSALMS! We will take a deep dive into different chapters of Psalms and the promises of God! This week we will talk about Psalm 2 and that even though the nations rage, God still reigns!
Join us for a special message from Living Stones presbyter Pastor Rod Aguillard!
“Death and life are in the power of the tongue" - Proverbs 18:21
Join us for an impartation from one of our presbyters over Living Stones, Apostle John Tetsola!
Join us for an impartation from one of our presbyters over Living Stones, Apostle John Tetsola!
Americans are freedom loving people! We have enjoyed the freedom to worship God according to the dictates of our conscience since the founding of our great nation 245 years ago. Freedom has been part of the air we breathe!
You’re not free if your beliefs are confined to your mind. Everyone in world history, under every sort of regime has been “free to believe.” What makes America unique is our freedom to peacefully live out those beliefs, and the Constitution protects that freedom.
“I always strive to keep my conscience clear before God and man.” - Acts 24:16
As we wrap up our series, Special Delivery, we circle back to the goodness of God and His desire and burden for the brokenness of His people! Are you excited to partner with the Holy Spirit to redeem His people and are you confident of His power to work through you?
“This same Good News that came to you is going out all over the world. It is bearing fruit everywhere by changing lives, just as it changed your lives from the day you first heard and understood the truth about God’s wonderful grace.” - Colossians 1:6 NLT
This Father’s Day, Pastor Ronnie Johnson delivers a message on the Love of the Father. For many of us, we know lots of information about the Father’s love, but find it hard to believe that this love is available to us unconditionally and at all times. Pastor Ronnie shares about what it looks like to progress from simply knowing of the Father’s love to truly believing the Father’s love for us personally.
We have been focusing on learning to listen to the language of the Holy Spirit, so we can determine WHO the Lord wants us to touch and WHERE the special delivery takes place. Today we focus on one of the ways that God will use to demonstrate His goodness and greatness in someone’s life: financial provision from the Lord. God wants us to be thoughtful and generous with our resources, and He intends for us to use our money to display His goodness and faithfulness in miraculous ways!
Let them do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to give, willing to share. 1 Timothy 6:18 NKJV
In our current series, we're talking about how God wants us to proactively partner with Him and to respond to the needs of the world by delivering His miracles. Today we talk about the specifics of following the direction of the Holy Spirit. How do we understand Heaven's GPS?
Text: Philip and his encounter with the Ethiopian eunuch (Acts 8:26-39)
Episode Notes Before we get to the specifics of how to deliver the miracles, we need to first talk about some of our false mindsets that gets in the way.We need to do the difficult work of internal change, so that we can be ready for the practical steps. Today we will be talking about 4 shifts in mindset if we are wanting to partner with God to deliver His miracles!
“My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I too am working” - John 5:17
What if God’s plan was for ordinary believers, like you and me, to partner with Him to deliver miracles to others?
What if the Lord actually wanted you to experience them on a more regular basis? God did not place you on this earth to notice Him at work only once or twice in your whole life. He wants this to be a lifestyle!
The truth is, you were born to live a supernatural life doing God’s work by God’s power.
“The eyes of the Lord search the whole earth in order to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him.” - 2 Chronicles 16:9 NLT
You can’t out-give God.
God came up with the idea of multiplication.
If you give him your time, he multiplies it. If you give him your money, he multiplies it. If you give him your talent, he multiplies it. If you give him your energy, guess what? He multiplies it.
It’s the same principle as planting seeds.
“You won’t regret it. No one who has sacrificed his home, spouse, brothers and sisters, parents, children – whatever – will lose out. It will all come back multiplied many times over in your lifetime. And then the bonus of eternal life!” (Luke 18:29-30 MSG)
Join us for our Mother's day service as we unleash Marion Johnson as our special speaker for today!
Moses took the Israelites out of Egypt, Joshua would lead them into the promised land. The Jordan served as a boundary between what the Israelites presently had and what God had promised them on the other side. Symbolically in Scripture, the Jordan represents decision. They are ashamed of their past and afraid of their future. This is a NOW moment. Will they seize the opportunity their parents missed?
“Be strong and courageous, for you are the one who will lead these people to possess all the land I swore to their ancestors I would give them. Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the instructions Moses gave you. Do not deviate from them, turning either to the right or to the left. Then you will be successful in everything you do. Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do. This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” - Joshua 1: 6-9
In their struggle against the Philistines, Jonathan was operating from a covenant inspired conviction. Victory over the Philistines was a promise simply waiting to be received and acted upon. God would give them the victory, but He would not fight the battle for them. The land was theirs if they had the courage to take it. Often we are waiting for a detailed map when God hands us a compass. We must be willing to MOVE with God, and He is always moving FORWARD! "One day Jonathan said to his armor bearer, “Come on, let’s go over to where the Philistines have their outpost.” But Jonathan did not tell his father what he was doing." - 1 Sam 14:1
Have you ever pondered just how much blessing God desires to release into this world, but gets blocked by our lack of passion and desire? You’ll be hard pressed to find any story in the Scriptures in which God becomes angry because someone had too much faith! Imagine standing before the Lord one day. Do you want Him to ask you why you tried to do too much, or why you settled for so little? Instead of pressing the limits of what God could do in and through our lives, we assume that his intention for us is less and so we settle for what we can do rather than what God intended to do through us!
"Then he said, “Now pick up the other arrows and strike them against the ground.” So the king picked them up and struck the ground three times. 19 But the man of God was angry with him. “You should have struck the ground five or six times!” he exclaimed. “Then you would have beaten Aram until it was entirely destroyed. Now you will be victorious only three times.” - 2 Kings 13:18-19
Life is the sum total of what we did with the moments given to us. The opportunity of a lifetime must be seized within the lifetime of the opportunity. Urgency gives our passions deadlines. Passion is the fuel that brings urgency. Leadership is about bringing urgency to the things that matter most.
"Now there were four men with leprosy sitting at the entrance of the city gates. “Why should we sit here waiting to die?” they asked each other. “We will starve if we stay here, but with the famine in the city, we will starve if we go back there. So we might as well go out and surrender to the Aramean army. If they let us live, so much the better. But if they kill us, we would have died anyway.” - 2 Kings 7:3-4
Today, as we celebrate Easter, the Resurrection of our Lord, we will remember the Sins of our Treason, God's transfer of our iniquities to the spotless Lamb, the Tragedy of the Cross, and finally - the fulfillment of God's sovereign plan and purpose through the Triumph of the Cross! In today's message, Pastor Ron addresses the 3 results of the Triumph of the Cross - 1) the inheritance of spiritual offspring, 2) the resurrection and eternal life, and 3) the fulfillment of God's plan from the beginning! “When he sees all that is accomplished by his anguish, he will be satisfied. And because of his experience, my righteous servant will make it possible for many to be counted righteous, for he will bear all their sins.” - Isaiah 53:11 NLT
“Crucifixion is probably the most cruel method of execution ever practiced, for it deliberately delayed death until maximum torture had been inflicted. The victim could suffer for days before dying.” - John Stott, The Cross of Christ
Cicero in one of his speeches condemned it as ‘a most cruel and disgusting punishment.’ Roman citizens were exempt from crucifixion, except in extreme cases of treason. How ironic that Jesus, the rightful King of the world, is condemned to die while being identified as a rebellious traitor!
“When He was hung on the cross, He took upon himself the curse for our wrongdoing. For it is written in the Scriptures, “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.” - Galatians 3:13, NLT
Today we discuss the very heart of the Gospel message: the innocent suffering Servant taking our place and giving His life as the sacrifice for sin. He could have brought justice by giving us what we all deserve – hell. But that’s not the response God chose. Jesus is our “scapegoat”, the one who bears/carries our grief, sorrow, and weakness upon Himself.
Text: Isaiah 53:5 — "But he was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins. He was beaten so we could be whole. He was whipped so we could be healed."
The fundamental issue for the cross is this: What does sin do to God, and how is this set right? The most important answer is that sin dishonors God. Here’s the greatest problem in the universe: God’s creatures have gone on record as devaluing the glory of God. This is the ultimate reason for the death of Jesus — he came to repair the injury we had done to the glory of God. The cross is the highest expression of justice that ever was and the greatest act of mercy. Romans 3:23 — “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,”
Episode Notes On our Vision Sunday, we are excited to present to our church family the direction God is leading Living Stones. Embeded in our vision is the message of NOW! Like Martha in John 11:17-26, we often put our focus on the past or in the future, not realizing that God wants us to have faith for the present! In the NOW is where Heaven touches Earth! We are not promised tomorrow. When is the right time to forgive? NOW! When is the right time to obey? NOW! When is the right time to believe God? NOW! When is the best time to get your marriage healed? NOW! When is the right time to break an addiction? NOW! When is the right time for a spiritual breakthrough? NOW! When is the best time to surrender your life to Christ? The Bible tells us: Indeed, the “right time” is NOW. Today is the day of salvation. (2 Corinthians 6:2) When Jesus arrived at Bethany, he was told that Lazarus had already been in his grave for four days. Bethany was only a few miles down the road from Jerusalem, and many of the people had come to console Martha and Mary in their loss. When Martha got word that Jesus was coming, she went to meet him. But Mary stayed in the house. Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if only you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that God will give you whatever you ask.” Jesus told her, “Your brother will rise again.” “Yes,” Martha said, “he will rise when everyone else rises, at the last day.”Jesus told her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying. Everyone who lives in me and believes in me will never ever die. Do you believe this, Martha?” John 11:17-26 NLT
We are blessed to have a message shared today by the overseer for the Network of Related Pastors and one of our presbyters; Pastor Keith Tucci. What are some lessons we can learn from the first Church established by the Holy Spirit through the Apostles? The text comes from Acts 2:41-47; Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day. They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.
Does God still speak to us today in a personal and intimate way? This is the topic we are exploring in our new series: Voices. God is looking to have a conversation with men and women who are called according to His purpose! Throughout history, the voice of God has transformed, impassioned, and guided those who have consecrated themselves to serve God. He is looking to speak to us. Are we listening?
This week we will break down three additional ways that the Holy Spirit speaks to us. Promptings are a gentle nudge from the Holy Spirit in the right direction. God often uses godly people who are also our trusted friends to help us direct our paths. Finally, nothing gets our full attention like pain. God often uses pain to powerfully move us into the right path! “The Lord says, ‘I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you. Do not be like a senseless horse or mule that needs a bit and bridle to keep it under control.’ Many sorrows come to the wicked, but unfailing love surrounds those who trust the Lord.” Psalm 32:8-10 NLT
Does God still speak to us today in a personal and intimate way? This is the topic we are exploring in our new series: Voices. God is looking to have a conversation with men and women who are called according to His purpose! Throughout history, the voice of God has transformed, impassioned, and guided those who have consecrated themselves to serve God. He is looking to speak to us. Are we listening?
We have talked about how important it is for God to speak to us through both the Word AND the Spirit. This week, we discuss 3 additional ways God speaks to us - through doors, desires and dreams. God often uses open or close doors to direct our paths. God also uses the passions and the desires of our hearts to guide our way. Finally, the Lord still speaks to us using dreams!
“Then, after doing all those things, I will pour out my Spirit upon all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy. Your old men will dream dreams, and your young men will see visions. In those days I will pour out my Spirit even on servants—men and women alike.” - Joel 2:28-29 NLT
Does God still speak to us today in a personal and intimate way? This is the topic we are exploring in our new series: Voices. God is looking to have a conversation with men and women who are called according to His purpose! Throughout history, the voice of God has transformed, impassioned, and guided those who have consecrated themselves to serve God. He is looking to speak to us. Are we listening?
The Gospel is the greatest love story ever told! From Genesis to Revelation, we see example after example of God’s relentless pursuit to redeem a Bride for His Son, Jesus! The Father uses the language of covenant love to give us a picture of his passionate pursuit for His people. The written Word and the Holy Spirit work in tandem to lead us into a personal, intimate relationship with Jesus! The goal is learning to recognize and respond to your heavenly Father’s voice so you can grow in intimacy with Him. When we take the Holy Spirit out of the equation, we’re left with the letter of the law, which leads to lifeless legalism. In contrast, the language of redemption is all about relationship. “Let me see your face; let me hear your voice. For your voice is pleasant, and your face is lovely.” - Song of Solomon 2:14
Does God still speak to us today in a personal and intimate way? This is the topic we are exploring in our new series: Voices. God is looking to have a conversation with men and women who are called according to His purpose! Throughout history, the voice of God has transformed, impassioned, and guided those who have consecrated themselves to serve God. He is looking to speak to us. Are we listening? This week, we will talk about how God talks to us through both the Word of God and the Spirit of God. “All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right.” - 2 Timothy 3:16 NLT “But when the Father sends the Advocate as my representative—that is, the Holy Spirit—he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you.” - John 14:26 NLT
Does God still speak to us today in a personal and intimate way? This is the topic we are exploring in our new series: Voices. God is looking to have a conversation with men and women who are called according to His purpose! Throughout history, the voice of God has transformed, impassioned, and guided those who have consecrated themselves to serve God. He is looking to speak to us. Are we listening?
This week, we turn to the journey of a young Samuel, and his process to hear God's voice. Though Samuel was consecrated for God's purpose, "Samuel did not yet know the Lord because he had never had a message from the Lord before." (1 Samuel 3:7). What can we learn from Samuel in how to tune our ears to the frequency of heaven? Find out in today's message.
“Meanwhile, the boy Samuel served the Lord by assisting Eli. Now in those days messages from the Lord were very rare, and visions were quite uncommon.2 One night Eli, who was almost blind by now, had gone to bed. 3 The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was sleeping in the Tabernacle near the Ark of God. 4 Suddenly the Lord called out, “Samuel!” “Yes?” Samuel replied. “What is it?” 5 He got up and ran to Eli. “Here I am. Did you call me?” “I didn’t call you,” Eli replied. “Go back to bed.” So he did. 6 Then the Lord called out again, “Samuel!” Again Samuel got up and went to Eli. “Here I am. Did you call me?” “I didn’t call you, my son,” Eli said. “Go back to bed.” 7 Samuel did not yet know the Lord because he had never had a message from the Lord before. 8 So the Lord called a third time, and once more Samuel got up and went to Eli. “Here I am. Did you call me?” Then Eli realized it was the Lord who was calling the boy. 9 So he said to Samuel, “Go and lie down again, and if someone calls again, say, ‘Speak, Lord, your servant is listening.’” So Samuel went back to bed.10 And the Lord came and called as before, “Samuel! Samuel!” And Samuel replied, “Speak, your servant is listening.” 1 Sam 3:1-20
The Acts 2 Church was part of a powerfully unified community connected by shared values and purpose. The culture was so countercultural that people were drawn into their community. You see, if the culture isn’t right, nothing else really matters, and that’s because culture always wins! If you have a great culture, your church will thrive. A great culture enables you to do great things! In our current series: Our Tribe - we will clarify what Living Stones is all about! We will talk about the 7 things we value here, and how these values shape what we do! Our culture must be incarnated! Today we talk about our 7th value: Kingdom Generosity! Our English word generous comes from an old French word meaning “of noble birth.” This is the reason for our generosity – we come from noble birth. We are children of the King! And we want to be like our Dad! My generous LIFE magnifies the work of God’s generous GRACE in me! “In a word, what I’m saying is, Grow up. You’re kingdom subjects. Now live like it. Live out your God-created identity. Live generously and graciously toward others, the way God lives toward you.” - Matthew 5:48 MSG
The Acts 2 Church was part of a powerfully unified community connected by shared values and purpose. The culture was so countercultural that people were drawn into their community. You see, if the culture isn’t right, nothing else really matters, and that’s because culture always wins! If you have a great culture, your church will thrive. A great culture enables you to do great things! In our current series, Our Tribe, we will clarify what Living Stones is all about! We will talk about the 7 things we value here, and how these values shape what we do! Our culture must be incarnated! Today we talk about our 6th value: Excellence! Excellence is the continual pursuit to grow and to maximize the resources that God has given us to steward. Excellence refers not to the AMOUNT of talent, authority, or resource you have been given, but to the level of FAITHFULNESS in which you demonstrate. The parable of the talents in Matthew 25 is the basis for excellence – culminating in this: “Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness” - Matthew 25:23 When we operate in excellence, it is not in a carnal or worldly sense of performance, but rather it originates from our passion and desire to serve our Father and King well! “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters.” Colossians 3:23
The Acts 2 Church was part of a powerfully unified community connected by shared values and purpose. The culture was so countercultural that people were drawn into their community. You see, if the culture isn’t right, nothing else really matters, and that’s because culture always wins! If you have a great culture, your church will thrive. A great culture enables you to do great things! In our current series: Our Tribe - we will clarify what Living Stones is all about! We will talk about the 7 things we value here, and how these values shape what we do! Our culture must be incarnated! Today we talk about our 5th values: Covenant Relationships! There are friends, there is family, and then there are friends that become family. That is the church of Jesus Christ. One of the marks of the Church is the quality of relationships that are modeled before a watching world. Jesus said they would know we are Christians by our love. Jesus set the gold standard of what covenant relationships look like: “So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.” - John 13:34-35 NLT When we love like Jesus, the result is relationships, lots of them, which stand the test of time. The Church is a multi-generational, multi-ethnic family. Come and find out more about the 5 defining marks of a Covenant Relationship!
The Acts 2 Church was part of a powerfully unified community connected by shared values and purpose. The culture was so counter-cultural that people were drawn into their community. You see, if the culture isn’t right, nothing else really matters, and that’s because culture always wins! If you have a great culture, your church will thrive. A great culture enables you to do great things! In our current series: Our Tribe - we will clarify what Living Stones is all about! We will talk about the 7 things we value here, and how these values shape what we do! Our culture must be incarnated! Today we talk about our 4th values: the growth Mindset! Having the growth mindset means that we view life through a lens that really values growth – that we don’t get stagnant. But we are not just talking about growing in general – but growing to be like Jesus. And since we will never be fully like Jesus in our life time, our life is about the journey and not the destination. Every day we wake up we are looking forward to our pursuit to become more like Christ! Having the growth mindset means that we embrace adversity, we embrace our failures, we embrace authenticity, and finally we embrace brokenness. Come find out more in our sermon today! Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. - Philippians 3:12-14
The Acts 2 Church was part of a powerfully unified community connected by shared values and purpose. The culture was so countercultural that people were drawn into their community. You see, if the culture isn’t right, nothing else really matters, and that’s because culture always wins! If you have a great culture, your church will thrive. A great culture enables you to do great things! In our current series: Our Tribe - we will clarify what Living Stones is all about! We will talk about the 7 things we value here, and how these values shape what we do! Our culture must be incarnated! Today we talk about our third value: Daring love! Christ’s love is daring – it’s bold and courageous; it’s fearless and adventurous. And that’s the kind of love which He invites us to enjoy and to share with others. Daring Love is supernatural in that it is beyond our normal reach and ability. We need Christ to transform our hearts and we need the Holy Spirit to work this kind of love through us. Daring Love is critical in that it inspires others to love boldly and courageously. When Love has no evidence, it believes the best. When the evidence is adverse, it hopes for the best. And when hopes are repeatedly disappointed, it still courageously waits. (Robertson and Plummer - 1Corinthians 13-Critical and Exegetical Commentary)
The Acts 2 Church was part of a powerfully unified community connected by shared values and purpose. The culture was so countercultural that people were drawn into their community. You see, if the culture isn’t right, nothing else really matters, and that’s because culture always wins!
If you have a great culture, your church will thrive. A great culture enables you to do great things!
In our current series: Our Tribe - we will clarify what Living Stones is all about! We will talk about the 7 things we value here, and how these values shape what we do! Our culture must be incarnated!
Today we talk about our second value: Pregnant Hope!
The Apostle Paul said, “For I live in eager expectation and hope…”-Philippians 1:20 AMP
Hope comes from the promises of God rooted in the work of Christ.
Biblical hope is a confident expectation and desire for something good in the future. Biblical hope not only desires something good for the future — it expects it to happen. And it not only expects it to happen — it is confident that it will happen. There is a moral certainty that the good we expect and desire will be done.
We need to understand that if God is going to do something, He will look for people who are operating in a spirit of expectant hope!
But, O my soul, don’t be discouraged. Don’t be upset. Expect God to act! For I know that I shall again have plenty of reason to praise him for all that he will do. He is my help! He is my God! - Psalm 42:11 TLB
The Acts 2 Church was part of a powerfully unified community connected by shared values and purpose. The culture was so countercultural that people were drawn into their community. You see, if the culture isn’t right, nothing else really matters, and that’s because culture always wins!
If you have a great culture, your church will thrive. A great culture enables you to do great things!
In our current series: Our Tribe - we will clarify what Living Stones is all about! We will talk about the 7 things we value here, and how these values shape what we do! Our culture must be incarnated!
Today Pastor Ron talks about our first value: Bold Faith! We believe God for BIG THINGS!
The great evangelist, D.L. Moody said, “If God is your partner, make your plans BIG!”
God honors big dreams because big dreams honor God.
- Bold Faith is our reasonable response to the greatness and goodness of God!
- Bold Faith pleases God. 3.Bold Faith goes first!
- Bold Faith prays preposterous prayers!
- Bold Faith CHOOSES to Believe!
“Let’s go across to the outpost of those pagans,” Jonathan said to his armor bearer. “Perhaps the Lord will help us, for nothing can hinder the Lord. He can win a battle whether he has many warriors or only a few!” - I Samuel 14:6 NLT
In the book of Acts we find the expression of the first Church of Jesus Christ in Jerusalem. The church was filled with signs and wonders, great fellowship, generosity, and God added to their fellowship daily! How many of us would like to be a part of a church like that?! Well if you flip a couple pages ahead to Acts 4:32, you’ll discover what I believe is a powerful secret to their success:
“All the believers were united in heart and mind.” Acts 4:32 NLT
The opposite is also true…
“Any kingdom divided by civil war is doomed. A family splintered by feuding will fall apart.” Luke 11:17 NLT
The Acts 2 Church was part of a powerfully unified community connected by shared values and purpose. The culture was so countercultural that people were drawn into their community. You see, if the culture isn’t right, nothing else really matters, and that’s because culture always wins!
If you have a great culture, your church will thrive. A great culture enables you to do great things!
In our current series: Our Tribe - we will clarify what Living Stones is all about! We will talk about the 7 things we value here, and how these values shape what we do! Our culture must be incarnated!
Our 7 values:
- Daring Love: Love that is courageous
- Bold Faith: Faith that believes for big things
- Pregnant Hope: Hope filled with anticipation
- Covenant Relationships: Relationships that last forever
- Kingdom Generosity: Giving that overflows
- Growth Mindset: Reaching our full potential
- Increasing Excellence: Always offering our best
Doesn’t God know that it is virtually impossible to be thankful when our lives seem to be fraught with one challenge and one disappointment after another?
We live in a sin-filled and broken world. How does God expect me to be filled with thanks when my circumstances are disastrous?
As we come to the final leg of this year, I want to equip you with a powerful weapon to help you win the battle over discouragement and to enable you to move in the joy and power of the Holy Spirit no matter what your circumstances look like.
“No matter what happens, always be thankful, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.” I Thessalonians 5:18 NLT
Do you really want to live for God and for His awesome purposes? The first step to live for God might not be what you are typically taught in churches. To truly make Jesus the King of your life, you must first dethrone the tyrant who has been whispering lies all your life: Fear. To walk in the supernatural, to listen and obey God's voice - we must first expose and remove the debilitating voice of fear. And God has already given us a path of victory to overcoming fear in His promises. Come find out what that means for you today. Scriptures: Isaiah 41:10 “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” Jeremiah 42:11 “Do not fear him, declares the LORD, for I am with you, to save you and to deliver you from his hand.” Psalm 23:4 “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.” Joshua 1:5-9 “As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you. Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their ancestors to give them.”
In America today, the public square is more toxic than ever, and many Churches have resolved to steer as far away as possible from anything controversial. But is that the proper role of the Church? It turns out that we have one more sermon left in this series. Into this dark mess of moral morass, God raised up men and women to be light in our generation. God has done this throughout every generation, and I believe He is doing it even now in our own. We need men and women to stand up and face the darkness. Heroes are made in perilous times. Pastor Ron discusses the advice we must take from David's 3 Mighty Men. We must learn to: 1) Raise our spear; 2) Stand firm; and 3) Defend our ground. “Surely our law-breaking and sins are hurting us. They will kill us. What can we do so we will live?” -Ezekiel 33:10 NCV
In America today, the public square is more toxic than ever, and many Churches have resolved to steer as far away as possible from anything controversial. But is that the proper role of the Church?
In the conclusion to our series, Unalienable, we will talk about where we place our faith. We don’t just stand against wickedness; we must provide hope for a preferred future. We are not prophets of doom and gloom; but the darkest hour is truly just before dawn. We need courage and conviction to stand as "impossible men" and put our faith in the Unstoppable God.
“Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise.” - Hebrews 10:23 NLT
In America today, the public square is more toxic than ever, and many churches have resolved to steer as far away as possible from anything controversial. But is that the proper role of the Church?
Continuing our discussion on how to bring the blessings of godly government in our city, state, and our nation, we are convinced that Psalm 33:12 is true: Blessed [fortunate, prosperous, and favored by God] is the nation whose God is the Lord. (AMP)
In today's message, Pastor Ron moves the discussion past the realm of personalities, politicians, and political shenanigans in general, and into the realm of policy ideas. So the question remains, “Based on the clear teachings of Scripture, are there certain policies we cannot support?” Are their certain biblical lines that cannot be crossed?
“I knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb." Jeremiah 1:5 NLT
In America today, the public square is more toxic than ever, and many Churches have resolved to steer as far away as possible from anything controversial. But is that the proper role of the Church?
In today's message, Pastor Ron talks about the paradox of freedom, and that without character, virtue and self-restraint, the unfettered freedom without responsibility will lead to triviality, corruption and the undermining of all authority. But what is the source of the self-restraint and self-government? We find that it all goes back to faith...
"No human society has ever been able to maintain both order and freedom, both cohesiveness and liberty apart from the moral precepts of the Christian Religion. Should our Republic ever forget this fundamental precept of governance, men are certain to shed their responsibilities for licentiousness and this great experiment will then surely be doomed." John Jay - The First Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court & President of the American Bible Society.
In America today, the public square is more toxic than ever, and many Churches have resolved to steer as far away as possible from anything controversial. But is that the proper role of the Church?
In today's message, Pastor Ron will use the Scriptures as well as the historical roles the Church played in Government to encourage God's people that we must not disengage in this crucial hour of our nation.
"The church must be reminded that it is not the master or the servant of the state, but rather the conscience of the state. It must be the guide and the critic of the state. If the church does not recapture its prophetic zeal, it will become an irrelevant social club without moral or spiritual authority." - Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
We are witnessing a time of great polarization in America - a growing cultural divide. This divide is not primarily racial or political, but rather a collision of competing worldviews for pre-eminence, and the prize: the heart and soul of our nation. But as God's people, we are called to be countercultural, as well as the salt and the light of the world. We are to be "in the world but not of it." In our series Modern life, we will help you navigate through this confusing time so that as Christ's bride, we will remain faith-filled, fearless and fruitful in the midst of cultural chaos, confusion and compromise.
One of the myths of modern life is that there is no supernatural, thus no God. All that is real is that which can be experienced with your five senses. Our problem is with a competing worldview, called Naturalism, which makes sensory experience, ultimate. Its a world that embraces the seen while denying anything unseen. But we saw last week, Jesus is Lord of both the seen and the unseen. The Apostle Paul reminds us that the gospel is Jesus Centered, cross- centered, and it is lived in the power of the Holy Spirit.
Scripture: 1 Corinthians 2:1-5 NLT
We are witnessing a time of great polarization in America - a growing cultural divide. This divide is not primarily racial or political, but rather a collision of competing worldviews for pre-eminence, and the prize: the heart and soul of our nation. But as God's people, we are called to be countercultural, as well as the salt and the light of the world. We are to be "in the world but not of it." In our series Modern Life, we will help you navigate through this confusing time so that as Christ's bride, we will remain faith-filled, fearless and fruitful in the midst of cultural chaos, confusion and compromise.
If we are to live out our faith with integrity, we must be aware of the current divorce in our culture between public life and private life. In America today, we must contend with a secularized view of life where faith has been quarantined from any meaningful expression in public life.
However, genuine Christianity prescribes that Everything exists for the Glory of God and rejects the sacred/secular paradigm. For us to live out the Christian worldview with integrity, we must firmly embrace that Jesus is truly Lord of all!
Scripture: Colossian 1:16
We are witnessing a time of great polarization in America - a growing cultural divide. This divide is not primarily racial or political, but rather a collision of competing worldviews for pre-eminence, and the prize: the heart and soul of our nation. But as God's people, we are called to be countercultural, as well as the salt and the light of the world. We are to be "in the world but not of it." In our series Modern life, we will help you navigate through this confusing time so that as Christ's bride, we will remain faith-filled, fearless and fruitful in the midst of cultural chaos, confusion and compromise.
One of the subtle seductions of modern life is the sheer number of options we enjoy by virtue of our freedom and prosperity. The list of choices before us is dizzying, but choice has become a value in itself, even a priority.The problem is that the focus is on choice as choosing rather than choice as the content of what is chosen. Being “pro-choice” is seen as virtuous. We have become a culture that celebrates choice regardless of whether the choice is right or wrong, wise or stupid. Choosing is all that matters. You are the sovereign chooser.While this is wonderful when you are pursuing the college of your dreams or the toothpaste of your liking, it is deadly when applied to faith and morality.
Christianity, however, is a revealed religion. It comes to us as objective truth and not open to buffet-style revisions. God is a God of truth and what He says is true.
The Great British pastor and theologian Martin Lloyd Jones writes, "There can be no doubt whatsoever that all the troubles in the Church today, and most of the troubles in the world, are due to a departure from the authority of the Bible.We all therefore have to face this ultimate and final question: Do we accept the Bible as the Word of God, as the sole authority in all matters of faith and practice, or do we not? Is the whole of my thinking governed by Scripture, or do I come with my reason and pick and choose out of Scripture and sit in judgment upon it, putting myself and modern knowledge forward as the ultimate standard and authority?"
This is the question we all need to ask ourselves today.
Scripture: Deuteronomy 4:2
We are witnessing a time of great polarization in America - a growing cultural divide. This divide is not primarily racial or political, but rather a collision of competing worldviews for pre-eminence, and the prize: the heart and soul of our nation. But as God's people, we are called to be counter-cultural, as well as the salt and the light of the world. We are to be "in the world but not of it." In our series Modern life, we will help you navigate through this confusing time so that as Christ's bride, we will remain faith-filled, fearless and fruitful in the midst of cultural chaos, confusion, and compromise.
Like the confrontation on Mt. Carmel, we are experiencing a similar battle for the soul of our nation. We have a showdown between competing and opposing worldviews. The battle lines are drawn. Whose "god" is greater? Elijah basically challenges the people with this question: to whom will you give your full allegiance? The same question goes out to us today. If we are not careful, we allow the blessings of “modern life” to seduce us, and the result is that we conform to the world instead of being the transforming presence Christ has called us to be.
Scriptures: 1 King 18:16-21
We are doing this series called "Supernatural Blessing" to remind us that in these unprecedented times of uncertainty, God wants us to be settled in His superabundant blessing. He is the God of more than enough! In Jesus' very first miracle of turning water into wine, He demonstrated to us that, in His Kingdom, our best days are always ahead of us and not in the distant past. So, as a church family, let us look forward to the future with great hope, faith, and expectation!
Even though we all want great relationships and great communities for ourselves and for our families, so few people are actually able to achieve this. Why is there such a disconnect between what we desire and what we actually have, in terms of authentic, intimate, godly relationships? The disconnect comes from a failure to set proper expectations for the cost and the rewards of building a Christ Centered Community (CCC). In today's sermon, Pastor Andrew talks about the costs of what it takes to build a CCC and ends the sermon on what is really at stake. Yes, building a CCC is costly and demands that we grow and change, but the rewards and the blessings are absolutely worth it!
Scriptures: Luke 14:31-33
We are doing this series called "Supernatural Blessing" to remind us that in these unprecedented times of uncertainty, God wants us to be settled in His superabundant blessing. He is the God of more than enough! In Jesus's very first miracle of turning water into wine, He demonstrated to us that, in His Kingdom, our best days are always ahead of us and not in the distant past. So, as a church family, let us look forward to the future with great hope, faith, and expectation!
How do we respond when we go through a season of loss? What are God's promises when we go through disappointments? When you are down and out, what does faith say? Using the life of Job, we will encourage you with the promises from our Heavenly Father's heart. Here is a hint: the latter half of your life is going to be greater than the first half.
Scriptures: Zechariah 9:12
We are doing this series called "Supernatural Blessing" to remind us that in these unprecedented times of uncertainty, God wants us to be settled in His superabundant blessing. He is the God of more than enough! In Jesus's very first miracle of turning water into wine, He demonstrated to us that, in His Kingdom, our best days are always ahead of us and not in the distant past. So, as a church family, let us look forward to the future with great hope, faith and expectation!
Sometimes the blessings of God is so outrageous we tune it out. Let it not be said of us! The promises of God are so good that it promises to overtake us. But what are the purposes of the promises? What is the reason behind God's overwhelming blessing? Is it so that we can be independent of Him? Come find out in today's message! Here is a hint: the Gospel is at the center of it all!
We are doing this series called "Supernatural Blessing" to remind us that in these unprecedented times of uncertainty, God wants us to be settled in His superabundant blessing. He is the God of more than enough! In Jesus's very first miracle of turning water into wine, He demonstrated to us that, in His Kingdom, our best days are always ahead of us and not in the distant past. So, as a church family, let us look forward to the future with great hope, faith and expectation!
In today's message, Pastor Ron breaks down the greatest blessing of all that turned God from being against us to being utterly and devotedly FOR us! This great commitment God has for us and for our redemption is tied in with the unfathomable sacrifice He made in giving us his beloved Son. Listen and be encouraged in the truly great news of the gospel!
We are doing this series called "Supernatural Blessing" to remind us that in these unprecedented times of uncertainty, God wants us to be settled in His superabundant blessings. He is the God of more than enough! In Jesus's very first miracle of turning water into wine, He demonstrated to us that, in His Kingdom, our best days are always ahead of us and not in the distant past. So, as a church family, let us look forward to the future with great hope, faith and expectation!
In today's message, we will direct our attention to a personal God who speaks over each of us who have come to know Him as Father! God blesses us with six amazing gifts as we obey and honor Him with our lives
God by nature is a bless-er. It is part of His character!
Scriptures: Numbers 6:22-27
We are doing this series called "Supernatural Blessings" to remind us that in these unprecedented times of uncertainty, God wants us to be settled in His superabundant blessing. He is the God of more than enough! In Jesus's very first miracle of turning water into wine, He demonstrated to us that, in His Kingdom, our best days are always ahead of us and not in the distant past. So, as a church family, let us look forward to the future with great hope, faith, and expectation!
In today's teaching, we turn to one of the many amazing miracles Jesus performed for our edification - the Feeding of the Five Thousand. When we are faced with overwhelming odds, God is simply asking us to give Him all that we possess, so He can multiply it! And here is the ending (spoiler alert), there are plenty of leftovers! There's always enough for everyone in the Kingdom of God!
Scriptures: Luke 9
We are doing this series called "Squeezed" to directly address the stress-filled culture we are living in right now in 2020. As the people of God, we are not meant to live under an existential dark cloud, waiting for the next catastrophe to strike. We are called to live with joy, faith, peace and a heart eager to learn and grow regardless of what is going on in our world today!
When you are squeezed, does anxiety come out? Many of us have learned to cope with anxiety instead of facing it head on - and claim victory. In the final message to our series, we will talk about facing the roots to anxiety and 3 practical ways to grow our faith so that anxiety will not have a hold on our lives.
Scriptures: Matthew 6:30, Romans 10:17, Romans 8:28
We are doing this series called "Squeezed" to directly address the stress-filled culture we are living in right now in 2020. As the people of God, we are not meant to live under an existential dark cloud, waiting for the next catastrophe to strike. We are called to live with joy, faith, peace and a heart eager to learn and grow regardless of what is going on in our world today!
As you are pursuing the call of God in your life, what happens when the fog of life hits you? We will talk about 3 things to look out for when your clarity is obscured, and how to rise above the fog of life and not lose your way!
Scriptures: Proverbs 20:18, Proverbs 2:6-9
We are doing this series called "Squeezed" to directly address the stress-filled culture we are living in right now in 2020. As the people of God, we are not meant to live under an existential dark cloud, waiting for the next catastrophe to strike. We are called to live with joy, faith, peace and a heart eager to learn and grow regardless of what is going on in our world today!
In today's message, we will contrast how the world views stress against what the word of God teaches. Regardless of where you go on Sunday, when we are stressed, who we truly worship is revealed! Do we face stress with distraction or do we center on the presence of Jesus?
Text: Genesis 28:16
We are doing this series called "Squeezed" to directly address the stress-filled culture we are living in right now in 2020. As the people of God, we are not meant to live under an existential dark cloud, waiting for the next catastrophe to strike. We are called to live with joy, faith, peace and a heart eager to learn and grow regardless of what is going on in our world today! In today's message, we will address the different ways we can be stressed, and how God uses the "squeeze" of life to bless us and not to stress us! From the failures and restoration of Peter, we will learn how Jesus gave us the plan to overcome the squeeze!
In the final message in our series, Moving Forward, Pastor Ron addresses how to finish well following the lessons we see from Moses. Though we are called to NOT Live and Lead Alone - we do need to watch who we are living and leading with! From the life of Moses we learn that we should not run with those we are fearful, critical, cynical, have victim mindsets, arrogant, and stubborn. It's easier to get the those guys out of Egypt than to get Egypt out of them!
The text of the message comes from Exodus 14:10-12
For our Father's day message, Pastor Ron addresses two things that men must NOT do in order to finish THE RACE well. This advice came from Jethro, Moses's father-in-law. Jethro's advice was this: you must not 1) live alone, and you must also not 2) lead alone. Come find out the sustaining message Jethro gave to Moses that kept the leader to millions of Israelites mission focused and emotionally healthy!
The text of the message comes from Exodus 18:17-24.
Injustice, whether actual or perceived, is the breeding ground for offense. The satanic purpose behind every offense is to ignite division and to create strife. The offense is designed to destroy unity. Pastor Ron's message today exposes the spirit of offense operating in America today.
What does the Bible say about the promise of offense and how we should respond?
The text of the message comes from Deuteronomy 23:7 NCV
In light of the horrific death of George Floyd and the national outrage that is on display right now, what is the proper response for the follower of Jesus? Today we are going to offer 3 keys to overcoming injustice from the perspective of the Kingdom of God. Joining Pastor Ron today is Living Stones Elder Amara Kpandeyenge, and worship leader David Walton.
The 3 keys are us having 1) Kingdom Culture 2) Kingdom Identity and 3) Kingdom Hearts.
Throughout history, God has used the Divine Reset to realign His people to God's purposes. From the outside, the divine reset could be painful, uncomfortable, and takes us out of our usual routines, but if we can understand God's heart and embrace the process, we can be propelled to a new season of intimacy and fruitfulness. In today's message, Pastor Andrew talks about the six lessons we can learn from Moses to thrive in the midst of a divine reset!
Our text today comes from Exodus Chapter 2, verse 15 to Chapter 3 verse 12.
The 6 lessons from Moses include 1) Embrace the change 2) Hold on to your dreams 3) Learn as much as you can 4) Don't focus on the exit 5) Focus on God's personal word for you and 6) Build a monument!
To move forward, you must know who you are and what you are called to do. In times of cultural chaos, it’s easy to get lost in the whirlwind of the moment. The same temptation occurred for Moses, but in the moment of crisis, Moses took ACTION! If you want to move forward, you have to be one who is willing to speak and to act. Let's learn this lesson from the Life of Moses!
"The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy." Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr
In our current season of great uncertainty, the Bible gives us a guideline on how to move forward. In Moses's day, there was also great unrest and turbulance - the Egyptians have enslaved the Jews and declared that all new born boys will be killed. In the midst of fear and chaos, God's blessings emerged through the courage of 3 women, and their courage still speaks today to us as we seek to move forward.
"It was by faith that Moses’ parents hid him for three months when he was born. They saw that God had given them an unusual child, and they were not afraid to disobey the king’s command." Hebrews 11:23 NLT
Episode Notes Through the unique lens from raising 8 children, Pastor Ron and Marion uses the Scriptures and their own stories to point out the unique calling of being a mom. Motherhood, in its essence, is revelational, confrontational, missional, transformational, and eternal.
Who can find a virtuous and capable wife? She is more precious than rubies. 11 Her husband can trust her, and she will greatly enrich his life. 12 She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life.
28 Her children stand and bless her. Her husband praises her: 29 “There are many virtuous and capable women in the world, but you surpass them all!”
Proverbs 31:10-12; 28-29 NLT
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The call to the Church is to alert everyone, everywhere to the universal reign of Christ! Our God reigns through the work of Christ. Jesus is King, and He Reigns! But what does this reign look like?
Faith and fear are both very contagious. As God's people, we are called to be full of faith, "for everyone born of God is victorious and overcomes the world" (1 John 5:4)! How do we walk out our faith in the face of overwhelming fear and how do we infect others with the same courage and strength? Come find out in today's message.
Message was delivered by Beth Jacobus. Some parts of the message featuring video were edited out for poor sound quality.