Stonecreek Church: Recent Episodes
Stonecreek Church
At Stonecreek Church, we exist to elevate the name of Jesus! Through these weekly messages you'll find hope, discover a deeper faith, and grow in your relationship with Jesus. To learn more about who we are and how you can get involved, visit us at www.Stonecreek.Church
Freedom from the Prison of Bitterness - Kingdom Culture - Sean Curry | Stonecreek Church
Have you ever felt like you don’t belong? What if you could live in the confidence that you have a seat at God’s, the King of the Universe’s, table for eternity? This past Sunday, Pastor Steven unpacked Ephesians 2:11-22 where we learned how Jesus – through His life, death, and resurrection – reconciled us to God and to each other giving us a place to belong. It’s only when you find a place that you truly belong that you can live out who you really are.
This past Sunday we continued in our message series, Identity: The Power of Knowing Who You Really Are, and Pastor Steven went through Ephesians 1:1-14. We learned that the most powerful words have the ability to change your life. Everything that we believe, say, and do is in light of who we are IN CHRIST.
How is my joy?Joy - a confident assurance that God’s goodness determines the story of my life.Joy is the serious business of heaven. C.S. Lewis10 And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.Luke 2:10-11
This Sunday we heard from Pastor Steven Gibbs as he taught on the Advent theme of love. Love is the unending commitment to one’s good, no matter the cost. The litmus test of how well we know the love of God is how well we love others – and we can’t have one without the other.
We kicked off this Advent season by hearing from Pastor Steven as he talked about the theme of hope. When our optimism runs out, all that’s left is what we put our hope in. Hope is desire accompanied by conviction of fulfillment, and we were created for hope.
This past Sunday we heard from Pastor Steven Gibbs as he set up the Advent season with the practice of gratitude. Being thankful gives us personalized access to God, and it’s the way we fight against anxiety. We aren’t supposed to be thankful sometimes, we’re supposed to grateful in all circumstances, and we can always find a reason to thank God.
This past Sunday we heard from Pastor Joey McLaughlin as he unpacked our initiative to have 10 church campuses/plants in the next 10 years. Jesus died for the Church. Jesus loves the Church. Jesus’ bride is the Church. The Church is the hope of the world: it is the purposed people of Jesus gathering in His name, around His message, practicing His ways for the advancement of His kingdom.
This past Sunday we heard from Pastor Steven as he unpacked our next initiative: we’ve gone to the nations. We learned about God’s heart for people to hear the gospel to the ends of the earth, and that the reality of heaven and hell should give us a sense of urgency to share the Gospel. Jesus raised the stakes of eternity by giving us a missions mindset. If God’s heart beats for missions, what does yours beat for?
We can’t get over how awesome this weekend was! We heard from Pastor Mike Reinsel as he unpacked our next initiative – caring for the poor, the widow, and the orphan. We are a people of compassion and it is our duty to serve the least of these. How we treat the hurting and the lost is evidence of the faith that saved them. Serving them is not just something we do, but it becomes something we are.
This past Sunday we continued in our vision series, X Multiply, where Pastor Steven Gibbs talked about the power of the Gospel. Only the good news of the Kingdom of God has the power to save and change lives. We can’t just live the Gospel – we have to preach it with boldness.
How do we fulfill the great commission? By making disciples!
In this week's message, Steven Gibbs lays out a plan for a disciple making movement that could revolutionize the future of our church.
This past weekend we heard from Pastor Steven as he talked about what it means for our church to be a non-stop house of prayer. In order for church to be a house or prayer, our homes have to be houses of prayer. We have to find the secret place with Jesus so that we can see His supernatural power.
After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying, “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen.” Revelation 7:9-12
If you read history you will find that the Christians who did most for the present world were just those who thought most of the next. It is since Christians have largely ceased to think of the other world that they have become so ineffective in this. Aim at heaven and you will get earth ‘thrown in’; aim at earth and you will get neither. C.S. Lewis
Multiply
16 Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. 17 And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted. 18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Jesus
What if the last thing He said, was my focus for 10 years?
“And the word of God increased; and the number of the disciples multiplied in Jerusalem greatly; and a great company of the priests were obedient to the faith.” Acts 6:7
So the church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria had peace and was being built up. And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, it multiplied. Acts 9:31
24 But the word of God increased and multiplied. Acts 12:24
Know Jesus, Follow Jesus, and Lead others to do the same
Jesus commanded it
What if last thing said, first thing He wants talk about?
We crave it
The world cries out for it
Our 2033 Vision: We pray that in 2033 this can be said of our Church: To know Jesus, follow Jesus, & lead others to do the same is our greatest passion. In eager anticipation of the 2000-year anniversary of the Great Commission, we’ve multiplied. We’ve become a non-stop house of prayer who truly believes His presence is better than life. We’ve ignited a disciple-making movement with a culture of deep, spiritual formation across every life stage that’s full of grace and truth. “Who’s your 3” is now common language. Our cities have heard about the beauty of Jesus, as evidenced by the 344,869 bold gospel conversations. We’ve celebrated 365 baptisms every year, as Jesus adds to our number day-by-day those who are being saved. Fully dependent on the Spirit of Jesus, darkness is pushed back, and the Kingdom of Light is advancing. People are being loved, the poor are being served, and the prisoners are being set free in Jesus’ name. We’ve gone to the nations. We’ve engaged 5 unreached people groups, planted 5 international churches, and sent 100 mission trips around the world. We’ve impacted the NowGen with over 100,000 kids & students experiencing Jesus at camp. We’ve equipped the saints for ministry with over 100 future leaders trained through our Leadership Development Program. We’ve become a movement of 10 campuses/church plants that are Jesus-centered, discipleship-driven, and transformation-focused houses of worship. And we’ve generously given whatever it takes to see Jesus' Great Commission realized and to live into a story way bigger than ourselves. We have songs that tell our story, some scars from the journey, but so much joy in our hearts because we know Jesus is is infinitely worth it.
We wake up for the things that we value the most. When we fail to awaken to the power of the church, we miss out on the life that God created us for. This past week, we heard from Pastor Sean Curry as he wrapped out our message series, Awakening. He unpacked Hebrews 10:19-25 and gave us 10 reasons why we can’t miss out on the importance of church. The Church is the hope of the world, and it is our duty to take it to the nations.
What are you willing to wake up for?
“Nothing on earth has greater potential to change lives and carry out His kingdom work in your community, than your local church.There’s nothing like the local church when it’s working right. Its beauty is indescribable. Its power is breathtaking. Its potential is unlimited. No other organization on earth is like the church. Nothing even comes close.”
Hebrews 10:19-23
“Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.
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Jesus bled for this.
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We get to and we have to. It’s a privilege and a command.
Hebrews 10:24-25
Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.”
Acts 2:42-43
“And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles.”
- To awaken your love and understanding for the Word of God.
Hebrews 4:12
For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires.
- To unlock the power of gathering in worship alongside other believers.
Psalm 95:1-3 says:“Oh come, let us sing to the Lord; let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation! Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise! For the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods.”
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To stop sleepwalking on community that will change your life for the better.
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To help make prayer the DNA of your life.
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To awaken faith in your family, your marriage, your kids, and generations to come.
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To awaken your God-given gift.
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To awaken your influence in a culture that wants you to conform.
Ekklesia: Called out assembly or congregation If we want to make a difference in the world, we must be different from the world. 10. Because the church is the hope of the world. When the hope of the church is put on the move, everything changes.
Acts 2:46-47
Day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.
- The church starts in the building but it can’t stay in the building.
2 When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. 2 And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. 3 And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance. (Acts 2:1-4)
- God With Us
- Waking up to Presence of God
2 When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. 2 And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. 3 And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.
5 Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven. 6 And at this sound the multitude came together, and they were bewildered, because each one was hearing them speak in his own language. (Acts 2:1-6)
And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son[d] from the Father, full of grace and truth (John 1:14)
19 Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? (1 Corinthians 6:19)
14 For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, 15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, 16 that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19 and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
Ephesians 3:14-19
- What am I full of?
- “Light yourself on fire with passion and people will come from miles to watch you burn.” - John Wesley
You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore. (Psalm 16:11)
One thing have I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in his temple. (Psalm 27:4)
You have said, “Seek my face.” My heart says to you, “Your face, Lord, do I seek.” (Psalm 27:8)
Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished. And they recognized that they had been with Jesus. (Acts 4:13)
And he appointed twelve (whom he also named apostles) so that they might be with him and he might send them out to preach. (Mark 3:14)
- How hot is the fire in your soul?
- The power of God follows the presence of God.
- We proclaim the truth about God.
- How hot is the fire in your soul?
- Where should I repent?
1 Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. 2 This man came to Jesus by night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.” 3 Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” 4 Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?” 5 Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ 8 The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”
9 Nicodemus said to him, “How can these things be?” 10 Jesus answered him, “Are you the teacher of Israel and yet you do not understand these things? 11 Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know, and bear witness to what we have seen, but you do not receive our testimony. 12 If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you heavenly things? 13 No one has ascended into heaven except he who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. 14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.
16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
John 3:1-16
Cultural Christian
Kingdom Christian
Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. - Philippians 2:12
Where am I in the journey?
Kingdom people wake up to spiritual truth by getting over themselves.
Humble
Honest
The unexamined life is not worth living. - Socrates
Men occasionally stumble over the truth, but most of them pick themselves up and hurry off as if nothing ever happened. - Winston Churchill
You can’t handle the truth. Jack Nicholson
Hungry
How does my life reflect what I want?
Kingdom people choose God’s Kingdom over this kingdom.
Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” John 3:3
5 having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power.
2 Timothy 3:5
Cultural Christianity lacks the power of the gospel
Kingdom people run after heart change.
Getting more than you are getting, requires more than keeps you comfortable.
25 I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you. 26 And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. 27 And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules. Ezekiel 36:25-27
Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life. Proverbs 4:23
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.
Proverbs 3:5-6
For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.
1 Samuel 16:7
For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Matthew 6:21
You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.
Jeremiah 29:31
This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.
Jesus
New Birth - New Identity
Kingdom people obsess over the King.
Where am I in the journey?
How does my life reflect what I want?
Am I running after what matters in God’s Kingdom?
Only God is great – and it’s because of His glory and grace. This past Sunday, Pastor Steven Gibbs continued in our new message series, Awakening: Step into the Life You Were Made For. He unpacked what it means to awaken to the greatness of God as he went through the throne room scene in Isaiah 6:1-7. We might not reject God, but we do reduce Him, and the Bible makes it clear that He alone is high and lifted up. Because of His glory, life revolves around God – not us.
“In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of his robe filled the temple. Above him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one called to another and said: “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!” And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke. And I said: “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!” Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a burning coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar. And he touched my mouth and said: “Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for.”
Isaiah 6:1-7
We might not reject God, but we will reduce Him.
Where am I “successful”?
How have I reduced God?
Because of God’s glory, life revolves around God … not us.
Because of God’s glory, He is worthy of worship.
What gets my attention?
Because of God’s glory, God is goodMoses said, “Please show me your glory.” And he said, “I will make all my goodness pass before you and will proclaim before you my name ‘The Lord.’
Exodus 33:18-19
And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.
Hebrews 11:6
Do I live like God is good?
God is great because of His Grace.
Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength. Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.
Isaiah 40:28-31
Do you feel stuck? Like you’re bound to your anxiety, depression, and insecurity, chained to your less than ideal circumstances?
This past Sunday, we heard from Pastor Joey McLaughlin as he closed out our sermon series, House of Prayer Pt. 2. He unpacked Paul’s prayer to the Philippian church. Paul had to remember his imprisonment in order to move forward: what if redeeming your past meant living your best life in the future?
I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. It is right for me to feel this way about you all, because I hold you in my heart, for you are all partakers with me of grace, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel. For God is my witness, how I yearn for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus. And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.
Philippians 1:3-11
Acts 16:13
…on the Sabbath day we went outside the gate to the riverside, where we supposed there was a place of prayer…Acts 16:16 Once when we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a female slave who had a spirit by which she predicted the future. She earned a great deal of money for her owners by fortune-telling.
Acts 16:23
…they threw them into prison, ordering the jailer to keep them safely. 24 Having received this order, he put them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks.
Acts 16:25-28
About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them, 26 and suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken. And immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone's bonds were unfastened. 27 When the jailer woke and saw that the prison doors were open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped. 28 But Paul cried with a loud voice, “Do not harm yourself, for we are all here.”
Do you wish that your prayer life was better, more powerful, more meaningful than it is? This Sunday, Pastor Mike Reinsel continued in our second week of our series House of Prayer, Pt. 2 as he unpacked Ephesians 3:14-21.
We learned that the purpose of prayer is simply the privilege of relationship with our Heavenly Father. What would happen if we started praying big, bold prayers because we actually believed in the abundant power of God?
“For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.”
Ephesians 3:14-21
Who is the most powerful person of prayer you know?How do I become better at prayer?
- Our place and posture of prayer matter.
Prayer isn’t a duty to be completed, but a highly privileged relationship to embrace.
With-ness
- God’s deep desire for us is to be with Him first and to do for Him leading out from that.
“And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone.”
Matthew 14:23
In these days he went out to the mountain to pray, and all night he continued in prayer to God.”
Luke 6:12
“And rising early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed.”
Mark 1:35
“...and great crowds gathered to hear him and be healed of their infirmities. But he would withdraw to desolate places and pray.”
Luke 5:16
“‘Be with’ God first through prayer and let our good work come out of that.”
Ephesians 6:18
Our “busy-ness” is the enemy of our “with-ness.”
God shapes us in the quiet.
- God wants us to pray bold prayers.
Bold prayers are usually answered because we’re consistent in our time with God.
What prayers are you praying?
When we forget to pray, we rob our faith of its power. The power of Jesus sets us free to live the lives we were designed for. This past Sunday, we kicked off our new sermon series, House of Prayer Pt. 2, where Pastor Aaron Bennett taught us that prayer creates life-giving relationships. We learned that the teaching of the early church was compelling, but it was their love that was contagious. Powerful prayers lead to radical changes.
Prayer creates life-giving relationships. (Great relationships are the secret to the life you really want.)
“There are far too many people who settle for practicing a sterile religion rather than enjoying a growing, vibrant, personal relationship with the living God.”
― Henry T. Blackaby, Experiencing God
“I thank my God always when I remember you in my prayers, because I hear of your love and of the faith that you have toward the Lord Jesus and for all the saints, and I pray that the sharing of your faith may become effective for the full knowledge of every good thing that is in us for the sake of Christ. For I have derived much joy and comfort from your love, my brother, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you.”
Philemon 1:4-7
6 —I pray
6 — that the sharing of your faith = koinonia
The teaching of the early church was compelling. The love of the early church was contagious.
6 —“I pray that the sharing of your faith may become effective”
“For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.”
Hebrews 4:12
6 —“I pray that the sharing of your faith may become effective for the full knowledge of every good thing that is in us for the sake of Christ.”
“Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!”
Matthew 7:9-11
Practical Tips
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Make a daily practice of praying for people you love.
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Make a daily practice of praying with people you love.
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Pray the scriptures back to God.
Where is Jesus and why hasn’t He come back yet?
This past Sunday, Pastor Sean Curry reminded us that we are able to walk in a living hope that is rooted in the promise of a King that will return for His people. Knowing the heart of God should lead us to repentance and empower us to live daily like eternity starts tomorrow. We don’t know when Jesus will come back exactly, but we can trust that He will and love like His love is alive.
Am I prepared for when the storm is going to come?
We walk in a living hope rooted in a King who is coming back.
How do you want to be found by Jesus?
God protects His promise, and as children of His promise, God fiercely protects us. This past Sunday we heard from Pastor Aaron Bennett as he continued in our series, Resilient: Following Jesus in a World That’s Falling Apart. We unpacked chapter 2 of 2 Peter and learned just how deadly bad ideas can be. God will do whatever it takes to protect His promises, and because of the assurance of His rescue, we can be resilient with hopeful expectation.
The Hidden Danger of Bad Ideas.
God fiercely protects His promise.
Bad ideas about little things can be disappointing.
Bad ideas about big things can be deadly.
Who influences you?
If you want a great life, you have to be honest about the threats you’re facing.
Either Jesus starts changing you, or you will start trying to change Jesus.
Jesus doesn’t ignore sin.
Jesus died to forgive sin.
Jesus calls us to a new life, free from sin.
The Gospel is God’s great promise.
God saves His most ferocious anger for those who twist His promises so they can profit off of bad ideas.
“They promise them freedom, but they themselves are slaves of corruption. For whatever overcomes a person, to that he is enslaved.”
2 Peter 2:19
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In a world full of lies, teach yourself to crave God’s truth.
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Walk in the truth and expose the lies.
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Find practical ways to enjoy the freedom of knowing Jesus.
Are you living like this is all there is to life?
This past Sunday we heard from Steven Gibbs as he unpacked 2 Peter 1:16-21 as we continued in our series, Resilient: Following Jesus in a World that’s Falling Apart. In order for us to live our lives well, with purpose, and with resilience, we have to do so with the understanding that God’s word is ultimate authority.
For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. For when he received honor and glory from God the Father, and the voice was borne to him by the Majestic Glory, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased,” we ourselves heard this very voice borne from heaven, for we were with him on the holy mountain. And we have the prophetic word more fully confirmed, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts, knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone's own interpretation. For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.
2 Peter 1:16-21
Resilient Reminder
Therefore I intend always to remind you of these qualities, though you know them and are established in the truth that you have. I think it right, as long as I am in this body, to stir you up by way of reminder, since I know that the putting off of my body will be soon, as our Lord Jesus Christ made clear to me. And I will make every effort so that after my departure you may be able at any time to recall these things.
1 Peter 1:12-15
Absorb God’s Words
What am I forgetting about the life I want to live?
I choose to believe the Bible because it is a reliable collection of historical documents written down by eyewitnesses during the lifetime of other eyewitnesses. They report of supernatural events that took place in fulfillment of specific prophecies and claim that their writings are Divine rather than human in origin.
Do I live like I believe the Bible is true?
And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James, and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as light. And behold, there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him. And Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good that we are here. If you wish, I will make three tents here, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah.” He was still speaking when, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.” When the disciples heard this, they fell on their faces and were terrified.
Matthew 17:1-6
EVERYTHING GIVES WAY JESUS.
Where do I need light in my life?
Do I live like this life is all there is to my life?
All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God[a] may be complete, equipped for every good work.
2 Timothy 3:16-17
For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
Hebrews 4:12
What authority do I live by?
We are people of a book. Our understanding of God is not shaped primarily by experience, tradition, popular opinion, culture or what we’re comfortable with…our understanding of God is shaped by the written word of God that points to the living word, Jesus. God’s words aren’t a weapon used to hurt people, but a lifeline to save them. This is our first source, final authority, the greatest love story ever written and the best part of all … it’s true.
Here’s the thing about change: many people don’t, everyone can, only the brave will.
This past Sunday, we heard from Pastor Aaron Bennett as he kicked us off in our study of 2 Peter in our teaching series, Resilient: Following Jesus in a World That’s Falling Apart. In Christianity, growth isn’t just an invitation, but it is an expectation. Love changes things, but God’s love changes everything. By partnering with God in the power of His nature, we can become resilient disciples who don’t just change for ourselves, but who can change the world for the Kingdom of God. “Simeon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ,To those who have obtained a faith of equal standing with ours by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ:May grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.
His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire. For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins.
Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall. For in this way there will be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.Therefore I intend always to remind you of these qualities, though you know them and are established in the truth that you have. I think it right, as long as I am in this body,[h] to stir you up by way of reminder, since I know that the putting off of my body will be soon, as our Lord Jesus Christ made clear to me. And I will make every effort so that after my departure you may be able at any time to recall these things.”
2 Peter 1:1-15
Love changes things. Love changes things and God’s love changes everything.Resilient disciples don’t just endure the world. Resilient disciples change the world.How do people change?By knowing who you are.“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”
Matthew 11:28-29
“For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.”
2 Corinthians 4:6
How do people change?
By changing what you want. Truth about change:
- Many people won’t
- Everyone can
- Only the brave will
“Don't be a slave of your desires or live like people who don't know God.”
1 Thessalonians 4:5
How do people change?
By growing in your faith.How do people change?
By knowing the reward. When it comes to change, Jesus is the power and the prize.
An idle mind is the Devil’s workshop and we can take a stand against his schemes with resilient resistance. This past Sunday, we heard from Pastor Sean Curry as he finished out our study on 1 Peter by breaking down the importance of having spiritual leaders in our lives. Without submitting to the authority of elders and to the authority of Jesus, we set ourselves up to fall victim to the enemy whose goal is to steal, kill, and destroy. A posture of humility is imperative to live resiliently.
Exiles on our way to eternity
Living hope
Suffering is normal
God is good
Time is short
Missions is our calling
Humility is our posture
“Therefore let those who suffer according to God's will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good.”
1 Peter 4:19
“So I exhort the elders among you, as a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, as well as a partaker in the glory that is going to be revealed…”
1 Peter 5:1
“…shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly; not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock. And when the chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory.”
1 Peter 5:2-4
“Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”
1 Peter 5:5
How do you lead?“For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."
Mark 10:45
“Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you”
1 Peter 5:6-7
What do you need to lay down to carry the burden of the Lord?“Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.”
1 Peter 5:8
“He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.”
Colossians 2:15
“For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.”
Ephesians 6:12
“Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world.”
1 Peter 5:9
Resilient Resistance“And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. To him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen. By Silvanus, a faithful brother as I regard him, I have written briefly to you, exhorting and declaring that this is the true grace of God. Stand firm in it.”
1 Peter 5:10-12
Suffering is normal, and through it we can believe God is good. This past Sunday, we heard from Pastor Steven Gibb as he unpacked 1 Peter 4:1-11 in our teaching series, Resilient: Following Jesus in a World That’s Falling Apart. We were made for eternity, and setting our eyes on the things of heaven means that we can live for the things that actually matter. What do you care about now that won’t matter in eternity? Time is short – don’t wait to live your life in a meaningful way. Since therefore Christ suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves with the same way of thinking, for whoever has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, so as to live for the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for human passions but for the will of God. For the time that is past suffices for doing what the Gentiles want to do, living in sensuality, passions, drunkenness, orgies, drinking parties, and lawless idolatry. With respect to this they are surprised when you do not join them in the same flood of debauchery, and they malign you; but they will give account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead. For this is why the gospel was preached even to those who are dead, that though judged in the flesh the way people are, they might live in the spirit the way God does.The end of all things is at hand; therefore be self-controlled and sober-minded for the sake of your prayers. Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins. Show hospitality to one another without grumbling. As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace: whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.1 Peter 4:1-11Exiles on our way to eternity.Living HopeSuffering is normal.God is good.Time is short – don’t wait. Live in today, but live for eternity."Time is what we want most, but what we use worst." William PennTime matters because matters of time are matters of eternity. Let each one take care how he builds upon it. For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw— each one's work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. If anyone's work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire.1 Corinthians 3:10-15So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.Psalm 90:12What do I care so much about now, that I know won’t matter in the end?What am I putting off?Do my prayers carry a sense of eternity?Who is at my table?
Who actually wants to be around you? This past Sunday, we heard from Pastor Steven Gibbs as we continued in our sermon series, Resilient: Following Jesus in a World That’s Falling Apart. We unpacked 1 Peter 3:8-22 and exactly what it means to suffer in a way that reflects the coming kingdom of God and our eternal purpose. The way that we respond when our world’s on fire reveals the reality of our soul. Do you set the temperature when you walk into a room?
Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind. Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless, for to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing. For “Whoever desires to love life and see good days, let him keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit; let him turn away from evil and do good; let him seek peace and pursue it. For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are open to their prayer. But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”
Now who is there to harm you if you are zealous for what is good? But even if you should suffer for righteousness' sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled, but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame. For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God's will, than for doing evil. For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit, in which he went and proclaimed to the spirits in prison, because they formerly did not obey, when God's patience waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through water. Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers having been subjected to him.
1 Peter 3:8-22
If everyone jumped off a cliff, would you?
Read Psalm 34 every day.
Are you measuring or setting the temperature in the rooms you walk into?
What temperature are you setting in the rooms you walk into?
Who is asking to be around you?
“The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.”
Psalm 34:18
Are you settling for crumbs when a feast is within your reach? This past weekend, we heard from Pastor Steven as he unpacked what Jesus meant when He asked Bartimaeus what he wanted Jesus to do for him. So often we discount all that Jesus wants to give us because we don’t have a category for the miraculous in our lives. And when we hope for the miraculous, we might find that our sight has been recovered and that it was Jesus we wanted all along.
And they came to Jericho. And as he was leaving Jericho with his disciples and a great crowd, Bartimaeus, a blind beggar, the son of Timaeus, was sitting by the roadside. And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and say, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” And many rebuked him, telling him to be silent. But he cried out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” And Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.” And they called the blind man, saying to him, “Take heart. Get up; he is calling you.” And throwing off his cloak, he sprang up and came to Jesus. And Jesus said to him, “What do you want me to do for you?” And the blind man said to him, “Rabbi, let me recover my sight.” And Jesus said to him, “Go your way; your faith has made you well.” And immediately he recovered his sight and followed him on the way.
Mark 10:46-52
What if Bartimaeus only asked Jesus for a snack, when sight was available?
“It would seem that Our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.”
C.S. Lewis
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
Psalm 23:6
Am I settling for crumbs off the floor, when God wants to give me a seat at the table?
Most men lead lives of quiet desperation and go to their graves with their song still in them.
Thoreau
What have I stopped hoping for?
What truth do I need to face?
What do I want more than God?
Is my way the way of Jesus?
If we can’t bring our doubts to church, where else are we supposed to take them? This past Sunday, we heard from Pastor Aaron Bennett as he taught on what Jesus meant when He asked Peter, “why do you doubt?” If we really believe in the power of God, then our doubts aren’t the place for deconstruction, but the questions that can finally unlock the move of God we long for. Addressing our doubts might just change our life.
Have you ever noticed that the right question can change your life?
Sometimes we don’t really like questions.
We see them as an intrusion.
What if we saw them as an invitation.
Jesus asked over 300+ questions in the Bible
It’s not because he needed info
It’s because He wants to invite us into the life he designed for us
Matthew 14:22-32
Immediately he made the disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds. And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, but the boat by this time was a long way from the land, beaten by the waves, for the wind was against them. And in the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea. 26 But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, “It is a ghost!” and they cried out in fear. But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.” And Peter answered him, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me.” Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased.
Why do you doubt?
Doubts of unbelievers:
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If God is so good, then why is the world so bad?
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If Christ is so kind, why can Christians be so cruel?
Doubts of believers:
God — I’m pretty sure that you can... I’m not sure that you will... for me.
Jude 1:21
keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life. And have mercy on those who doubt
It takes a whole lot of faith, to be honest about your doubt.
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Life gives us some pretty good reasons to doubt.
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Jesus is the safest place to bring your doubts.
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Doubt doesn’t have to be your destiny.
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Dealing honestly with doubt can lead to the deepest faith.
What you think about Jesus is the most important thing about you. This past Sunday, Pastor Steven unpacked what it meant when Jesus asked His disciples, “who do YOU say that I am?” The questions that Jesus asked us are an invitation to life as it is supposed to be, and an invitation for a new identity. Are you pursuing a life that helps you hear God’s questions? Or are you pursuing a life that perpetuates bondage to the lies we’ve been told our whole lives?
Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” And they said, “Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” Then he strictly charged the disciples to tell no one that he was the Christ.
Matthew 16:13 - 20
Questions from Jesus aren’t for information, but are an invitation to the life He wants for us.
This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.
Psalm 118:24
Appetite
Approval
Ambition
Am I pursuing a life that helps you hear God’s questions?
“I saw in the night visions,
and behold, with the clouds of heaven
there came one like a son of man,
and he came to the Ancient of Days
and was presented before him.
And to him was given dominion
and glory and a kingdom,
that all peoples, nations, and languages
should serve him;
his dominion is an everlasting dominion,
which shall not pass away,
and his kingdom one
that shall not be destroyed.”
Daniel 7:13-14
Where do I get my view of Jesus?
He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”
Matthew 16:15
Must get Jesus right, or nothing is right.
Who do you say Jesus is?
Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” Then he strictly charged the disciples to tell no one that he was the Christ.
Matthew 16:16 - 20
For you formed my inward parts;
you knitted me together in my mother's womb.
I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
Psalm 139:13-14
Am I pursuing a life that helps you hear God’s questions?
Where do I get my view of Jesus?
Who do I say Jesus is?
We all long for something deeper in our lives and relationships, and thankfully, there is Someone who satisfies that deep well of longing. This past Sunday, Pastor Steven Gibbs talked about what it means to have a real, living relationship with God Almighty. We learned about the real gospel, real Christianity, and what a real relationship with Jesus looks like. The invitation to know Him as our savior and friend is up to us – it just begins with us showing up.
“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. These things I command you, so that you will love one another.
John 15:12-17
Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God, the time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel
Mark 1:14-15
I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ
Galatians 1:6-7
He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man's heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end.
Ecclesiastes 3:11
Do I live a false gospel?
You are my friends if you do what I command you.
John 15:14
And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
Matthew 28:18-20
So Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, and when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. For a whole year they met with the church and taught a great many people. And in Antioch the disciples were first called Christians.
Acts 11:25-26
Who would Jesus be if Jesus were me?
You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. These things I command you, so that you will love one another.
John 15:16-17
No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you.
John 15:15
Do I know him?
And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.
John 17:3
DO YOU HAVE FRIENDS?
What work do you need to do to develop meaningful relationships? This past Sunday, Pastor Steven Gibbs taught us the necessity of having deep, meaningful friendships. Scripture tells us that friendship begins when we take off the masks that we wear in our everyday lives. Are you willing to be real with the people in your life? Are you ready to get in the trenches with the community that God has provided for you? You might just find that, in the mess, there is beauty.
“Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.”
Romans 12:9-13
“Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep.”
Romans 12:14-15
“The physical presence of other Christians is a source of incomparable joy and strength to the believer.” - Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Real Friends Create Value
“Love from the center of who you are; don’t fake it. Run for dear life from evil; hold on for dear life to good. Be good friends who love deeply; practice playing second fiddle.”
Romans 12:9-10 (MSG)
Transaction vs. Treasure
Who values me enough to make me better?
Real Friends Create Work
What work do you need to do to develop meaningful friendships?
What is your vision for your life? Does it align with God’s plan for your life? This past Sunday, Pastor Steven Gibbs was back with an awesome message about what it takes for us to live our best, real life. Life change begins when we become willing to sacrifice all that we have for the One who paid it all.
I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
Romans 12:1-2
The world has a vision for your life, do you?
Power in us is fueled by the patterns of Jesus.
The mercy of God is our motivation.
Have you considered how much mercy God gives you?
Sacrifices are serious business.
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.
Psalm 51:17
Is your sacrifice bringing you the life you want?
How did you get here?
What are your inputs?
What systems are shaping you today?
God’s vision for your life is the person you are becoming.
Broken thoughts lead to broken beliefs;
Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.
Colossians 3:2
Where is the joy of my salvation?
And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.
2 Corinthians 3:18
Death is inevitable, we have one life to live – life with Jesus gives us the purpose and meaning that our souls desperately crave. This past Sunday, Pastor Aaron Bennett reminded us that when we set our desires, our cravings, on the eternity of Heaven, we can trust that God will provide for us as a good Father. Real life is found in Jesus and it lasts forever.
CBS News Poll: Most people don’t think about death.
→ But we spend a lot of time and money trying to avoid it.
Is that really how we want to live?
Is that really what God wants for us?
Matthew 6:25-33
“Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into
barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”
Jesus knows you want everlasting life and He wants for you to experience everlasting life.
Have you received eternal life from Jesus?
What are you doing that will last forever?
Real life is offered to everyone.
Matthew 9:9-13
As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax
collector’s booth. “Follow me,” he told him, and Matthew got up and followed him. While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew’s house, many tax collectors and sinners came and ate with him and his disciples. When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” On hearing this, Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”
Real life from Jesus is given, not earned.
Real life isn’t about changing what you do. Real life is about changing what you want.
What are you doing that will last forever?
Is your marriage built on a foundation of real love? This past Sunday, Pastor Steven Gibbs gave us principles so that we can experience a marriage and love that lasts – a marriage that is defined by the definition of love that God’s Word provides us. Our culture might tell us that love is dependent on passion and performance, but Scripture tells us that our actions are what direct out emotions. After all, we don’t fall in real love – we grow into it.
Live Giving
Long Lasting
Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends.
1 Corinthians 13:4-8
So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.
1 Corinthians 13:12
Out Serve
How can I win at serving?
Liberate Greatness
For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.
Mark 10:45
Who does my spouse want to become?
Take Responsibility
Remember Jesus every day
We love because he first loved us.
1 John 4:19
Why did Jesus come as a servant? This weekend was week 2 of our series Christmas Like Jesus where we’re exploring how we can pursue the hope of our Savior in the midst of the hype of the season. Jesus came so that we can know the kingdom that we were created for, the kingdom we long for, and we are welcomed home through Jesus’ servanthood. The things that we serve are proof of the things that own us, so we must ask ourselves are we slaves to the kingdom of heaven? Or are we slaves to sin? For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many. - Jesus
This weekend we continued the conversation about God’s Good Design for Sex by tackling the topic of sexuality and identity. Pastor Steven reminded us that the LGBTQ+ community is not an issue to stand on, but a people to love. While God’s good design for sex and marriage is one man, one woman, one flesh, one lifetime, it is imperative for us to remember that singleness and celibacy is worthy to be celebrated. But so much more than that, our identity as royalty and the ability for transformation can be found in Jesus, and it is available to anyone who needs it here and now. People to love and truth to tell.
This weekend was week 4 of our series What Everyone is Talking About! We heard from Pastor Steven as he dove into God’s good design for sex and marriage. We learned that God actually wants us to have a great sex life, but that this gift can only be experienced fully in the way that God created it: for pleasure and one-ness within the boundaries of marriage. Despite what our culture teaches us about sexual promiscuity, we don’t have to settle for anything less than what God created us for. We are royalty and we don’t have to eat the crumbs of our culture – we have a seat at the table with the King.
God gave us the good gift of great sex.
Genesis 1:27-28
“So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. And God blessed them. And God said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”
We can never separate God’s plan for sex from our identity as His blessed creation.
God’s intention for sex:
Procreation
Intimate knowing
Protection
Comfort
Pleasure
One-ness
Pleasure
God is not anti-sex
Song of Solomon is a book of the Bible that celebrates the gift of sexual pleasure
Genesis 2:18-25
“Then the lord God said, ‘It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him.’ Now out of the round the Lord God had formed every beast of the field and every bird of the heavens and brought them to the man to see what he would call them. And whatever the man called every living creature, that was its name. The man gave names to all livestock and to the birds of the heavens and to every beast of the field. But for Adam there was not found a helper fit for him. So the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and while he slept took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh. And the rib that the Lord God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man, Then the man said, ‘This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.’ Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed.”
This week was week 3 of “What Everyone is Talking About.” We heard from our Elevate City campus pastor, Joe Baker, and he unpacked the topic of deconstruction and doubt. We learned that it is imperative for us to make sure we are bringing our doubts and questions to the foot of the cross, and that we are actively reconstructing that which has been destroyed. Faith storms are real, but they don’t have to end in a shipwreck.
Ephesians 4:11-16
“And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried out by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ…”
Deconstruction is the dismantling of anything already constructed
2 Timothy 3:7
“...always learning and never able to arrive at a knowledge of the truth.”
1 Timothy 6:20b
“Avoid the irreverent babble and contradictions of what is falsely called ‘knowledge,’ for by professing it some have swerved from the faith.”
What comes into your mind when you think about God is the most important thing about you. – A.W. Tozer
Faith storms are real, but they don’t have to result in a shipwreck.
We have to distinguish between loving the God we want versus the God who is.
Matthew 28:16-20
“...Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you…”
John 14:15
“If you love me, you will keep my commandments.”
Hebrews 13:7
“Remember you leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God. Consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith.”
Doubt doesn’t discredit your faith.
Demolition needs a plan for renovation.
Too many people equate who God is with their feelings about God.
New doesn’t mean true.
1 Timothy 6:3-4
“If anyone teaches a different doctrine and does not agree with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the teaching that accords with godliness, he is puffed up with conceit and understands nothing. He has an unhealthy craving for controversy and for quarrels about words, which produce envy, dissension, slander, evil suspicions…”
This week we continued in our series “What Everyone is Talking About”! We heard from our creative pastor, Aaron Bennett as he discussed truth and relativity. We learned that Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life, and that in His truth alone, we have access to eternal life. Truth is on trial, and it’s not a matter of information, but authority. Who are you trusting as authority over your life?
John 18:37-38
Then Pilate said to him, “So are you a king?” Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world – to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.” Pilate said to him, “What is truth?”
Truth is reality.
Truth is on trial.
What you believe about truth is the most important thing about you.
Jesus didn’t just come to explain the truth, He came to embody truth.
John 14:6
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
Truth is still on trial. It’s not a question of the existence of God, but whether or not He is a good God.
John 8:44-45
“You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is not truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies. But because I tell the truth, you do not believe me.”
What lies are you believing?
Truth always stands the test of time.
Joyful people make friends with reality.
If truth is a person, then truth has a personality.
Ephesians 4:14-15
…so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grown up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ…
This past weekend we started a new series called What Everyone is Talking About! Pastor Steven kicked the series off by talking about Jesus’ authority over the kingdom of Heaven and life itself. We were challenged to think about politics and legislative policies with an eternal perspective, knowing that we bear the image of God. We were challenged, encouraged, and equipped to think about these tough ideas with the truth and power of God’s Word. If you have questions, you can always reach out to our pastoral staff, and you can check out our resource page here. We can’t wait to continue on this journey with you!
This past Sunday we concluded our series “So Loved,” as Pastor Steven laid out just a few of the ways we can clearly see the love of God throughout Scripture. God’s love is a force to be reckoned with, and there’s nothing you can do to escape it. There will be a day when we are healed from every hurt and every scar, but when we see Jesus face to face, we will be able to clearly see the scars that His love for us has left. We invite you to find everything you need in the love of God.
This weekend at Stonecreek we began our new series, “So Loved.” Pastor Steven talked about what it means to live a loved life, a life that is lavished by the intentional love of God that requires our reciprocation. We learned just what it means that “God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son.” And just in case you need the reminder, you are loved.
This weekend at Stonecreek we finished our series on “A New Way to Be Human: Life in the Spirit” as we dove deeper in what the indwelling of the Holy Spirit means for our lives. As Pastor Steven explores John 14 & 16, we learn that Jesus left and gave us another, another that is better for us, better because the Spirit of God is always by our side, in any and every circumstance. A new way to be human means living in the confidence that you are never alone.
This weekend we dove into week 3 of our series "A New Way to Be Human: Life in the Spirit!" Pastor Steven Gibbs explains the mystery of the Holy Spirit as he teaches from 1 Corinthians 12. The invitation to pursue the higher gifts is an invitation for you to pursue the miraculous mystery of God's character and love for you. A new way to be human means believing that God is who He says He is.
This is week 2 of our series A New Way to Be Human: Life in the Spirit! In his message called, “The Wind in Your Sails,” Pastor Joey McLaughlin discusses Acts 1:8 and the power of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit empowers us to be true disciples of Jesus and to testify to the power and goodness of God. This is a new way to be human.
This Sunday at Stonecreek we started the adventure of discovering what it means to live life in the Holy Spirit. In his message "Meet Your Guide," Pastor Steven dives into John 16 where we are able to hear Jesus' teachings on the role and power of the Holy Spirit: He is our guide who convicts us and leads us into all truth. It is through the Spirit that we find freedom and rest. This is a new way to be human.
Join us for the last week in our series Jesus People vol. 2 as Sean Curry tlks about what it means for us to have "Passion as our Posture"
Join us as Pastor Steven as he talks about how we can Give our Best to reflect and glorify Jesus.
Join us for week 2 of our series Jesus People as Pastor Steven talks about what it looks like to be Better Together as believers.
Pastor Vince from Verve Church in Las Vegas joins us this Sunday to speak about what it looks like for us to live our life on mission!
Ryan Rohan closes out our series through Galatians by talking about what true freedom looks like for us as believers.
Steven Gibbs continues our summer series Living Free, where we will spend the whole summer studying through the book of Galatians.
Steven Gibbs continues our summer series Living Free, where we will spend the whole summer studying through the book of Galatians.
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Ryan Rohan continues our Living Free series diving into Galatians 2, and what it looks like to put our old lives to death in order to live our new life in Christ.
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Sean Curry kicks off our summer series Living Free, where we will spend the whole summer studying through the book of Galatians.
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Stonecreek Website– https://stonecreek.church
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Ryan Rohan wraps up our Jesus People series by reminding us to courageously go and spread the message of Jesus to the nations.
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In Luke 10, Jesus sends out 72 disciples on an adventure to share the Gospel–to a town where they weren't known, no extra comforts, and not knowing what was ahead.
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Sean talks about church and how we need to shift from an entertainment mindset to an equipping mindset.
Steven continues our Jesus People series talking about the boldness of a disciple.
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Stonecreek Website– https://stonecreek.church
Stonecreek YouTube – https://stonecc.link/youtube
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Steven continues our JESUS PEOPLE series and talks about the importance of investing in the NOW generation.
Connect With Us
Stonecreek Website– https://stonecreek.church
Stonecreek YouTube – https://stonecc.link/youtube
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Jesus Is Our Message by Steven Gibbs.
Connect With Us
Stonecreek Website– https://stonecreek.church
Stonecreek YouTube – https://stonecc.link/youtube
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Christmas Eve at Stonecreek Church 2021 with a special message from Senior Pastor Steven Gibbs
In week 3 of the series, Steven spoke about the idea of how our trainwrecks can actually become the vehicle for our transformation. Instead of letting a trainwreck define us negatively or become our identity, as Christians we can experience trials differently and use them as an opportunity for growth.
In week 2 of the series, Joey spoke about the idea of the “crew.” Often times we are de!ned by the friendships and relationships we keep. Statistics show that you become like the 5 people whom you spend the most amount of time. So why do relationships matter? What is their purpose? Jesus modeled to all of us what friendship should look like.
This week we continue our series "Equip" as Trevour Wiltshire brings a powerful message about the Bible.
We're back live and in person broadcasting from the front lawn of Stonecreek Church! In this episode, senior pastor Steven Gibbs gives a powerful message about what to focus on as we move toward reopening.