Pastor's Blog

We live in a fallen, broken world where there is much suffering and pain. The terrible flood that (at this point) has killed thirty two people, at least twenty-seven young children raises questions for us as Christians. What are we to make of such things? What is God saying? What is our responsibility as His children?

This post is part two of a Blog series entitled "Embrace These Truths." The series seeks to address some of the cultural lies that often infiltrate churches and lead Christians astray. It is vital that we, as Christians, have a Biblical view of life and reality as opposed to a cultural view.

It is imperative that we, as Christians, know the Word of God so we might walk in Truth and not be deceived by lies.

As we enter 2025, let's keep three very important words before us: Ask. Align. Advance.

Our Christmas Sermon Series, 'Let Earth Receive Her King,' shows us that from eternity past, God planned on sending His Son, the King, the Lord Jesus, to save us from our sins.

God has given us a stewardship opportunity in that we have the amazing gift of being able to vote for our elected officials, and in doing that, vote for the policies that will shape the future of the culture.

The spiritual condition of our nation is dire. We are a nation of no God and at the same time 'many gods.' Historic Christianity is increasingly mocked and the culture is increasingly demanding that Christians and the Church conform to the culture, or else. We are in grave spiritual danger. No politician or party can reverse our course-but the Living God can if He so chooses. Christians must pray earnestly for an authentic Great Awakening and for authentic revival and reformation.

Christians are to have a Biblical worldview. A worldview is a basic understanding and concept of the world that is rooted in a specific belief system or philosophy. As Christians, our worldview is to be rooted in the Word of God, and our Christian worldview intersects with every area of life, including the Christian our relationship to the government, and, as we approach election season, how we vote.

It is good for us to praise God for who He is and thank Him for all that He has done for us. It is also good for us to stay in prayer as we continue to follow His leading for the plans and purposes He has for Stonebridge Baptist Church, all for His glory.

Christians must not and cannot retreat from the culture, no matter how dark the days may be.

God is Good to Stonebridge Baptist Church! Dr. Katie McCoy will be with us in person on Wednesday, May 22, to discuss gender dysphoria and a Christian response. Dr. McCoy's book 'To Be a Woman,' is exceptionally well researched with ample data that shows not only the cause for our current cultural confusion, but also the outcomes of the current cultural confusion. Speaking the Truth in Love, Dr. McCoy gives Christians a Biblical response to this issue and encourages us to speak the Truth in Love. This will be a wonderful time of equipping for the church and those seeking a church home.

Don't miss out on our special REFUEL AND RECHARGE guest Wednesday, May 22! Dr. Katie McCoy will Zoom in with us from Dallas, Texas. She will speak on her book, 'To Be a Woman,' which addresses the cultural moment we are in, a time in which gender dysphoria, confusion over gender, is at an all-time high. Dr. McCoy addresses why this confusion is hitting females more than males, backs up everything with research, and then gives us a Christian response.

This week we return to our verse-by-verse study of Romans. Understanding Romans is essential to our Christian life, and the truths we find in Romans are essential to us becoming true Christians.

We hope that you will worship with us this Holy Week at Stonebridge Baptist Church.

As we enter a new year, we have a great opportunity as individual Christians, as Christian families, as a church family, to refocus and reorient our lives around the things that God says are priority.

Christmas is an incredible opportunity for us to slow down and reflect on God's amazing love, grace and mercy toward us in the gift of His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, who entered into our human condition to pay our sin debt so that we could become sons and daughters of the Living God. The culture (and our misguided priorities) encourage us to live life at a million miles an hour. This kind of living is counterproductive to our walk with God, our love for Him and our love for others. It hinders our worship and leads us to give God our left overs. He deserves so much more.

Followers of Jesus can rejoice and must rejoice this Christmas Season as we celebrate the remarkable, immeasurably costly, gracious and loving gift of God the Son to us, the babe in the manger who came to save us from our sins and to lead us from darkness to light. The world may be a dark place, and, getting darker, but Christians, because of Jesus Christ, can and must sing 'Joy to the World, the Lord has Come, Let Earth Receive Her King!' because Jesus Christ is the answer to all of humanity's needs.

God is both Sovereign and Good. We live in a fallen world where sin has negatively impacted everything. Humans are also sinners by nature because of the Fall. Because of sin, evil exists. Even as Christians await on Christ's return, for that time when there will be a new heaven and new earth, we still groan (as does creation itself) because of sin. It is normal for people to ask God questions, to take their pain and questions to God. God, however, does not owe us an explanation. We do know enough of His character, however, to know that we can trust Him, even when times are very dark.

Watching the events unfold in Israel is heartbreaking. How are we to respond and how are we to pray as Christians?

It is a tremendous blessing to see the power of the gospel transforming lives! We are so very thankful for what the Lord is doing in our church! We have an opportunity to show our communities the transforming power of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Family Week is a wonderful opportunity to grow in your walk with Jesus Christ, to strengthen your marriage, and, your family. Family Week is for the entire community. Don't miss the blessing. Register for Family Week 2023, which runs July 30-August 2.

The Lord has been (and is doing) wonderful things in the life o our church! What a blessing it is to be at Stonebridge Baptist Church! As we move forward now with next steps in our facility, seeking His will for this body, we must stay focused above all on Him, on the mission He has for us, and commit all things to Him for His glory

The great need for our church, for all churches, for our communities, our city, our nation and our world is for God to show mercy to us, and to revive us and reform us, that we, His people, might glorify Him and reflect Him to a lost and dying world. Our great need is to be consumed with a passion for the glory of God and to love Him more than we love anything or anyone. Our culture desperately needs Christ as well. He is the only Hope we have. Now is the time for the people of God to seek the Face of God and to cry out for mercy.

We live in a culture that is increasingly hostile to historical, Biblical Christianity. As we approach the new year, how are we to live as Christians? What does God expect from us in a rapidly changing culture and world? How are we to live as a church? It is my prayer that 2023 would be a year of profound Christian maturation and growth for us individually and as a church, that we would be used by God for His glory, no matter the cost.

Christmas is a time for us to reflect on the most amazing gift ever given: Jesus Christ our Lord. It is nothing short of stunning that the Holy God Above All Creation would pursue us, His sinful, rebellious creation, and pay the penalty for our sins, so that we might be reconciled to Him!

What an amazing work the Lord is doing in our church! We must stay in prayer, in the Word, and praise and thank God for who He is, what He is doing, and continue to seek Him as we walk by faith. God is moving in our church!

My wife and I thank you for allowing us this Sabbatical time. It has been a profound blessing and time of refreshing. I look forward to the things the Lord has for us in the next seven years!

As I prepare to leave for Sabbatical, I not only want to say 'thank you' to the church family, but also praise and thank God for the wonderful things He is doing. I also want to encourage you all to keep your eyes on Him and continue to move forward in faith!

The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the most significant, important and glorious event in human history. Jesus' resurrection proves He is God the Son, and that He has authority over all things, over life and death, and because of His substitionary death for us on the cross, He is able to freely offer salvation to all who trust in Him, freely, as a gift.

Our church is in a season of prayer and fasting. We are praying for revival in our church and for an awakening in our nation. As we entered this season of prayer, Russia invaded Ukraine. The world is watching in horror as an evil autocrat with a large nuclear arsenal seems prepared to do anything to regain the 'former glory' of the old Soviet Union, even to the point of threatening nuclear war. Many Christians have questions and wonder what these days mean and what they are to do. The answer is simpler than you might think, but it's difficult in that the answer forces us to deal with sin in our lives and our divided hearts. We must pursue Him in humility, in prayer, and we must be about His business.

Many people struggled the past two years with their faith and in their personal lives. As we enter into 2022, these things are necessary if we are to grow spiritually on an individual, familial and church level.

It is so very easy for us to lose Christ in the season that bears His Name. This Christmas, it is our prayer that you would experience renewal, joy, peace, and the Hope that comes from receiving and treasuring the greatest gift ever given, God's gift to you, Jesus Christ.

Stonebridge Baptist Church is so very blessed to have so many amazing volunteers, people who serve for the glory of God and the blessing of others. Thank you, volunteers! And, if you are looking for your place to serve, let us know!

Reading good Christian books is a great way to grow in your faith. Here are a few books I am reading (and re-reading) for your consideration.

We said, as a nation, after 9/11, that we would 'never forget,' and yet, on the 20th anniversary of 9/11, we must ask ourselves if we truly have remembered, and, if we have truly wrestled with what it means for God to be Sovereign over all things, including 9/11. What is He saying, and how should we respond?

Following Jesus is an amazing adventure. It can also be an uncomfortable thing at times as He calls us far beyond our comfort zones. That said, don't miss the blessing of the abundant life He promised by shrinking back and not following!

It was a dark day for America today. The American withdrawal from Afghanistan has been a painful and terrible situation. What are we to make of such times? How can we pray? What can we do?

We live in angry times. There is much anger in our culture over many different issues. There is a great sense of fragmentation taking place. In addition, those who are leading the culture's moral and spiritual revolution, see Christians who are committed to the authority of Scripture as 'the opposition.' As such, there is greater hostility toward the Biblical worldview and those who hold to it. How then are we to live? We must not become like the culture. We must be like Jesus, and that will only happen if we are abiding in Him and taking up our crosses to follow Him.

Our Great God has been so very good to our church. This weekend we stop to thank Him and Praise Him for all He has done and for who He is!

Much has changed in our culture over the past year. Many have isolated themselves over the past year and many experts report increases in cases of depression, anxiety and loneliness as a result. In addition, many report a general sense of fear, anger and frustration as they have tried to navigate the past year of Covid-19 as well as the economic uncertainty, social upheaval and rapid social changes that have (and still are) occurred. Christians have very real choices to make in these days, and because of Christ, we can make those choices. We must choose faith and joy in an age of fear and anxiety.

The coming cultural storm is ultimately a spiritual storm. Christians in America have not seen anything like it in our history. Are you prepared? How are we to live and what do we need to do?

If Jesus rose from the grave, He is exactly who He claimed to be and is worthy of all praise, glory and honor. He is worthy of our everything. If He did not rise from the dead, then He is of no importance whatsoever.

To follow Jesus means the world will not like us. We have a choice to make: please God or man. The great danger for Christians in America is to believe the lie that we can both be liked by the emerging culture and approved by God at the same time. We must choose

Trials and tests (and suffering) are a part of our Christian life. Jesus calls us to trust Him, even if we do not always understand what He is doing (or why). Our Lord is Sovereign and Good and is working in our circumstances for His glory and our ultimate good, therefore we can rest in Him, and, we must.

If you found yourself drifting in 2020, the new year offers a wonderful opportunity to refocus on the One who truly matters. As a church, we have an opportunity to refocus on Christ's mission.

What will you do with the gift of Christmas this year? Will you receive the gift of God's Son? Will you worship Him? Will you slow down and remember who and what truly matters, or, will you focus more on the strangeness of the year? This is an opportunity to refocus and be renewed. Each of us has a choice.

2020 has, by all accounts, been a strange and disorienting and unusual year. For many, it has been a source of discouragement or anxiety or stress or any number of things. This Christmas season is an incredible opportunity to be still and to experience renewal and to refocus on the things that truly matter: namely the amazing gift of God's Son to us.

November 14 and 15 we return to our normal worship hours! On that weekend, we will also have special services to rededicate ourselves, our church, all ministries and property to the Lord, for His Glory. Online Worship will also continue.

As we prepare to return to our normal Saturday and Sunday service hours, it will require everyone in the church to find their place to serve. Where are you called to serve?

Yes the times are dark. They seem to be getting darker by the day. The answer is not escapism, nor is it retreat. The answer is and has always been Jesus. How the people who bear His Name respond in these tumultuous times, is so very important.

There are many problems with the emerging trend of 'progressive Christianity,' but the root issue is a fundamental denial of both the gospel of Jesus Christ and the Lordship of Christ

Our culture is experiencing a war of ideas unlike anything most of us have seen in our lifetime. There is much darkness and anger in the culture. As the Cancel Culture expands, will Christians stand in faith or compromise?

America is fragmented. There is anger in the streets and there is fear, accusations, hatred and mistrust and pain. As Christians, we believe the gospel changes everything. We believe that Jesus truly saves and changes us and our life trajectory. Instead of retreating from the cultural chaos, we must lovingly engage with the gospel of Christ. Instead of clinging to secular (godless) ideologies and ways of addressing our culture, we must speak the Word of God lovingly and boldly and we must be willing to act. We cannot and must not abandon our post to the secularists. We have the Better Story to tell, the True Story,and we have the Cure for the sin virus that has spread across the soul of our nation-the Gospel of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ

Churches look forward to re-launching. A re-launch is not the same as re-opening. Re-opening implies resuming business as usual after a period of shut down. Re-launch indicates a change in focus and purpose. This has been a time of testing. The real test, however, will be when Christians across America regather. Will we remember lessons learned, or, will we return to old ways?

Texas is slowly re-opening businesses and allowing public places (including churches) to regather with certain guidelines suggested. The Stonebridge Baptist Church family looks forward to regathering, but we must be wise, loving and prayerful in our response. We have a responsibility to our church family as well as our neighbors, to act in love.

If you are wrestling with the claims of Christianity and want to examine the claims of Christ in an intellectually honest manner but don't know where to start, there are many resources to investigate. Here are a few.

The Covid-19 pandemic is real. Suffering and pain are real. Financial stress, concern over employment and family and loved ones is real. Sometimes, however, if we are not careful, our fears dictate our lives. This should not be the case for God's people. We can rest in God. He is Good. He is Sovereign. He loves you. He is in this time with all of us.

These are uncertain times, and people are justifiably concerned, but the Lord is at work! We must stay in prayer and in the Word and fix our eyes on Christ to run the race before us.

Our new sermon series 'Wisdom in an Unwise Age' walks us through the book of Proverbs. God calls us to wisdom and to growth.

God's Word is timeless. Truth does not change. While our culture is rapidly seeking to redefine so many things and the cancel culture seeks to silence voices that do not conform to politically correct views, Christians face a choice: to preach/teach/speak the Truth in love, or to reject or twist the Truth in the name of love. How we respond is supremely important.

America is rapidly sliding into secularism. Many in the American evangelical church are worried, scared or confused. Others still have no idea as to the severity of the storm that is already making landfall. I am thankful to call Pastor/Professor Pietro Ciavarella my friend and brother in Christ. Pietro pastors in Firenza (Florence), Italy, birthplace of the Renaissance. The people of Florence (and Italy as a whole) are largely secular and indifferent to the gospel. Pietro has words of encouragement for us moving forward, things we should remember.

Many young women (and their parents) are confused over the issue of what it means to be a female. The church must unapologetically proclaim the Truth, speaking Goodness into these confusing times.

Young men (and even men in their 40's) are turning to a group of men who have much to say about manhood, some of it good, some of it slightly off base, some of it the gospel of self-help as opposed to Gospel, and most of it a form of Stoicism because they were not taught what it means to be a man in the home, did not see it modeled, are taught by the culture that manhood is toxic, and deep down inside, these young men know they were made for more and they want answers. The problem is exacerbated by the fact that many fathers have either abandoned the family or have abdicated their role as spiritual leader of the home.

There are many lessons we can learn from the recent, sad news of Joshua Harris not only abandoning his marriage, but also renouncing his faith in Christ.

We must implement a comprehensive discipleship platform that impacts families if we are to build strong disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ and if we are to make disciples in this ever changing culture.

Look around you. The opportunities to be on mission are far more than you realize.

Jesus' primary concern is not our comfort, rather our becoming more like Him. He desires our ultimate good which means our sanctification and intimacy with Him, and that God is glorified in our lives. There are times in which those primary purposes are accomplished through trials, troubles, hardships and pain.

Sexual assault and predatory behavior have no place among the people of God and Stonebridge Baptist Church will do everything in our power to make our church one that honors God.

Evangelical Christians can learn much from our brothers and sisters in Christ who live in Western Europe. As America slides into a Post-Christian culture, there will be new challenges for most believers in the culture. We can learn from those who stand firm overseas.

With recent events in the states of New York and Virginia, and calls for more similar legislation in more states, Christians must have a clear, Biblical understanding of the sanctity and value of human life. And, Christians must be willing to lovingly but clearly and firmly articulate Truth and take redemptive, positive action to minister to the unborn to save lives.

As our culture rapidly changes and moves toward a new type of Dark Age, evangelical Christians in America must have a compelling vision for not only preserving the faith, but advancing the kingdom despite increasing hostility and opposition.

The way forward in this new 'Dark Age' is to return to the ancient paths.

Christianity is facing a new challenge in America, an emerging Dark Age in which the culture is defined in 'post-Christian' terminology, a culture that has for the most part, rejected Biblical Christianity and embraced all forms of philosophies, spiritualities and belief (and non belief) systems.

If you're going to grow in Christ, you must be stretched. Trials and tests are God's ordained means of growing our faith.

Reading Genesis not only allows us to learn more of God, we also learn more about our human condition, sin, redemption, life, faith and how God has been working throughout history for His glory and the blessing and salvation of many.

From one sermon series to another, we will see how God continues to call us to walk by faith

Jesus saves and changes us. He takes our old story and gives us a new one, a life with Him and a purpose found in Him. No matter where you come from, what you've done, what your story is, Jesus is willing and able to give us completely new starts, new hearts and new stories

We have so much to be thankful for and we must continue to move forward in faith.

Our churches need revival. God is working in our church. We must not confuse praying for authentic revival with revivalism.

We should always thank God for His grace and mercy toward us

2018 Begins with a focus on the family in the sermon series 'Family Matters.' Worship with us and learn with us what God's design for the family is, His purpose for family and how families can experience wholeness and renewal and health

If we are to move forward in a way that honors Christ we must be in tune with the Holy Spirit and abiding in Christ. As such, we must be united in prayer.

The Church of Jesus Christ should be an unstoppable force. Perhaps in America, we are focused more on man and not Christ, the Head of the Church.

Why is life the way it is? Why is the world the way it is? We can see things are broken and fragmented. Why is that the case if God created everything? Especially, why is it this way if God is both All Powerful and Completely Good? Where is the Hope? Journey with us as we begin a new study in Genesis starting July 30, 2017!