- Dec 27, 2021Christmas Unwrapped Part 4: Where Is Christmas? (Job 9:31-36)
Christmas Unwrapped Part 4: Where Is Christmas? (Job 9:31-36)Though Christmas was conceived in Heaven, birthed in Bethlehem, and celebrated in excess by the western world, you will only find true Christmas in those who have accepted Christ as the only mediator who can touch both God and man.
- Dec 19, 2021Christmas Unwrapped Part 3: Who Is Christmas (Luke 2:17-35)
Christmas Unwrapped Part 3: Who Is Christmas (Luke 2:17-35)
Mary has to stop and Ponder what the Shepherds meant when they told her that Jesus was her Lord. Could she come to grips with the idea that her son, Jesus, would be the warden of sinners and the master of slaves? In today's culture we wince at the thought of slavery, almost to the point that we have ridden our society of all vestiges of what it did to our country. We don't talk about it. Why? Because we know that it is wrong for any person to own another person like a piece of property. I'm sure in Mary's day they struggled with this notion to pretty much the same extent. So when the shepherds mentioned to her that Jesus would be her Lord, It meant that in a sense, she would be enslaved to him. That he would be so great, so awesome, so holy, that she could not help but find herself under his control. After all of the Lord's the people had seen for the last thousand years. The evil kings of Israel and Judah, the pagan kings of Babylon, Persia, and now Rome. The fake pretenders like Herod and the Pharisees. What would a good and Godly Lord even look like?
We too must ponder this. What does it mean to subject ourselves to Jesus as our Lord? It means we are servants and slaves under his control. It means we do what he says, we go where he sends, we work his fields, we feed his sheep, we follow in his steps, we suffer for his cause, we carry his banner, we fight in his army, we reap his harvest, and if need be, we carry his cross. When we subject ourselves to Jesus as Lord, we become faithful and willing slaves committed to His cause and for His glory! Can you do this? Can you submit to Jesus as your Lord? Romans 10:9-10 tells us that we must confess that Jesus is Lord and believe it in our hearts and then we will be saved. This is how we must come to Jesus. This is how we truly experience Christmas. Jesus truly is Who Christmas is all about!
- Dec 12, 2021Christmas Unwrapped Part 2: What Is Christmas (Galatians 4:4, Luke 2:8-16)
Christmas Unwrapped Part 2: What Is Christmas (Galatians 4:4, Luke 2:8-16)The wrapping paper of Christmas looks like a lot of things; shopping, parties, television specials, music, movies, giving gifts, family reunions, egg nog, mistletoe, carols, elf on the shelf, and on and on... but thats not the real gift! The present under the wrapping paper is way more important and substantial! Christmas is about the fact that God kept his promise, sent his Son Jesus to earth as a man, to die for our sins and give us eternal life. If we focus on the wrapping paper we may become more selfish, more stressed, more worldly... but when we focus on the actual gift of Christmas, the gift of Jesus Christs given for the sins of all mankind, it transforms your life. It helps us keep our promises, it helps us trade our carnal life in for a life of true godliness, and it helps us recognize that we need salvation... we need to be born again. This morning... what is Christmas? Christmas is God with us, God for us, God born to die for our sins! Christmas is one of the greatest miracles the world has ever known and it should change who we are! If you know what Christmas is really all about, it should change your life.Christmas is about a night when a virgin favored by God gave birth to the son of God knowing that in due time he would give his life for the sins of the world! This why the nativity matters... this is what Christmas means. Yes, Charlie Brown... this is what Christmas is really all about!
- Dec 5, 2021Christmas Unwrapped Part 1: When Is Christmas (Luke 2:1-7)
Christmas Unwrapped Part 1: When Is Christmas (Luke 2:1-7)Do we really know what Christmas is all about or is it like a Christmas present where the wrapping paper that we focus on is keeping us from seeing the true gift beneath? When discussing the truth of when is Christmas, the wrapping paper is the date we focus on; December 25th. While December 25th might be the exact date that Jesus was born on, though doubtful, it doesn't matter. All that matters is that we do celebrate the fact that Jesus was born; the fact that God became flesh and dwelt among us. When is Christmas? We should celebrate Christmas everyday!
- Nov 28, 2021WTDASCC Part 15: Kingdom Focus (1 Corinthians 3:4-9)
WTDASCC Part 15: Kingdom Focus (1 Corinthians 3:4-9)There's something within the American church that wars against the Kingdom of God. It's the desire of wayward men to place the advancement of God's kingdom second to the advancement of their own kingdoms. Unfortunately we see this in churches all the time don't we. We see it on roadside billboards advertising that their church is better than other churches in the area. We see it on giant banners promoting a man and his ministry over the ministry of God. We see it in sermons promoting health, wealth, and prosperity over the blessings of transformation and suffering. We see it when a man who claims to be a pastor gets on television and preaches self help motivational God is love sermons but forgets to mention sin and repentance. And we see it on every street that has one, two, even three churches within walking distance to one another and yet rather than combining their efforts to share the love of Christ with their community they are in competition with one another. Instead of the pastors praying together and loving on one another, they gossip about one another and run one another down. Their main pursuit has become gaining more marketshare. They want to see their “churches” become great so that their name becomes great and all the while the world sees us acting like spoiled brats running Jesus' name through the mud! It's disgusting!
We haven't been called to build the kingdom of Stone Creek Church, or the kingdom of Shevi Sloane... how dare we. We've been called to build the kingdom of God!
- Nov 21, 2021WTDASCC Part 14: Covenant Partnership (1 Corinthians 12:25-26)
WTDASCC Part 14: Covenant Partnership (1 Corinthians 12:25-26)Covenant partnership is not something just reserved for Sunday, It's something expected every day! When we come together as a body of believers and a faith family we come with a promise to be slow to push away from the table and quick to establish common ground and unity in Christ. We then partner together to accomplish our Vision Statement for the sake of seeing people saved and transformed by the Gospel.
- Nov 14, 2021WTDASCC Part 13: Accountability & Discipline (Galatians 6:1, Matthew 18:15-17)
WTDASCC Part 13: Accountability & Discipline (Galatians 6:1, Matthew 18:15-17)It is absolutely necessary that we as members of the local church not only commit to keeping our brothers and sisters accountable but that we allow them the same access to keeping us accountable. Accountability is an act of grace by which we, in love, gently help one another remove the deadly sin within our lives as to be a more righteous and pure bride of Christ.Church discipline is only necessary in the unlikely event that accountability does not produce repentance and restoration in the heart of a believer. Christian accountability is the first line of defense. Church discipline is a last resort. Accountability is for righteousness. Discipline is for restoration.So... who are you accountable to and who are you accountable for?
- Nov 7, 2021WTDASCC Part 12: Orthodox Beliefs (Romans 15:13)
WTDASCC Part 12: Orthodox Beliefs (Romans 15:13)Romans 15:13 says, "may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. We must have a set of beliefs. Why? For joy. Knowing what we believe no matter what happens in our lives; knowing we are living for a greater purpose gives us a joy. For peace. Adhering to a specific set of beliefs assures us that no matter how hard or long the war is, we will be victorious. For hope. Embracing orthodox beliefs gives us an assurance of God's blessing in this life and eternal life in the next. The point is simple. Until we know what we believe and why we believe it we will fail to live it.
- Oct 31, 2021WTDASCC Part 11: Intentional Discipleship (1 Corinthians 9:26-27 & Proverbs 27:17)
WTDASCC Part 11: Intentional Discipleship (1 Corinthians 9:26-27 & Proverbs 27:17)Transformation in the lives of believers doesn't just magically happen. You can't just enter into a church or be born to a family of Christians and expect to supernaturally be more like Christ. And though that sentiment seems silly at first glance, if we were to think about it, we would understand that this is how the church has functioned in relationship to discipleship for a large amount of the past two centuries. No, discipleship must be intentional. It must be strategic, planned, and expected by the leaders of the church. Each believer must be encouraged and expected to have a daily personal discipleship plan and a corporate growth plan of disciple making where they are pouring into the lives of others and others are pouring into their lives as well. If discipleship isn't intentional then transformation will be unlikely!
- Oct 24, 2021WTDASCC Part 10: Servant Leadership (Acts 20:28)
WTDASCC Part 10: Servant Leadership (Acts 20:28)
At Stone Creek, our prayer is that you would be able to trust and depend upon the leadership of our church. As leaders we are not unaware of how many in our position seem to fall on an almost daily basis. Therefore, we covenant with you to do the best we possibly can, through the power of the Holy Spirit and the Grace of God, to rise above the attacks of the enemy, the temptations of this world, and the pride of our position.
Paul makes it clear to leaders of the church, that we must take extra care of our own spiritual health so that we can care for your spiritual health. This isn't our church, we are stewards of it. It is God's church, bought by his own blood. Therefore we must be extra careful. We are called to be servant leaders who shepherd, serve, and equip the people God has placed in our care, and we will give an account to Him of how well we do in that regard.
- Oct 17, 2021WTDASCC Part 9: Gracious Giving (1 Corinthians 16:1-2)
WTDASCC Part 9: Gracious Giving (1 Corinthians 16:1-2)We don't give to God via the local church because the local church needs it, although that may be the case. We give because we have been called through the scriptures to surrender our money to ministries where God is moving for the sake of the Gospel, Discipleship, and Evangelism. If God wants the local church to have funds for the sake of ministry God will see to it that it is done, but more than that, God wants believers to be the conduit through which His financial blessings move to the places he wants it being used! Therefore we plan personally to give regularly for the purposes of God.
- Oct 10, 2021WTDASCC Part 8: Strategic Missions (Revelation 5:1-10)
WTDASCC Part 8: Strategic Missions (Revelation 5:1-10)Every Christian is called to the ministry of taking the Gospel to the ends of the Earth. Even if you feel call to stay in the states, you must figure out how to be actively involved in the sending of people you trust to take the greatest message of all time to those who have never heard it! How are you doing this?
- Oct 3, 2021WTDASCC Part 7: Relational Outreach (Matthew 5:16)
WTDASCC Part 7: Relational Outreach (Matthew 5:16)We must reach our world (our neighbors, our community, and our targeted foreign mission fields) with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. For centuries the American Church has tried to take short cuts to reach people. Either through quick exchanges or through simple church invites, many of us have abdicated our responsibilities of fishing for men and outsourced it to others. If we are to be obedient to our Lord's commission we must actually reach people the way Jesus and the Bible models it; relational outreach. The process is simple, yet lengthy and hard. First, we must look for opportunities to care for people's needs. Secondly, we must meet those needs sacrificially. Thirdly, we must take advantage of the care we've given to them and use that to form a relationship with them. In time, if formed correctly, that relationship will lead to an opportunity to share the Gospel in a manner that is natural and well received! If you want to reach people with the Gospel, you must give a care and you must be there!
- Sep 26, 2021WTDASCC Part 6: Familial Fellowship (Hebrews 14:24-25)
WTDASCC Part 6: Familial Fellowship (Hebrews 14:24-25)Church was never meant to be something you came to on Sunday mornings for an hour or two. Church is meant to be a family of people who love one another as though they were their blood brothers and sisters. True fellowship means family. When we learn how to become the faith family that God has designed for us to be, we will truly change the world the way God has called us to.
- Sep 19, 2021WTDASCC Part 5: Consistent Prayer (1 Thessalonians 5:17)
WTDASCC Part 5: Consistent Prayer (1 Thessalonians 5:17)We depend on Christ through consistent prayer. Consistent prayer means prayer is our first response not our last resort. Consistent prayer means prayer is a continuous conversation with God. And, Consistent prayer means prayer is about God's will, not ours! When we realize that prayer is about a relationship with God and not about what God can do for us we will be able to talk with him all day long, in every situation.
