2024: A Time to Refocus
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. ...
Keep ReadingToday, Easter Sunday, we celebrated the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. 'He is Risen!' is the most incredible and important declaration in human history. Jesus' resurrection changes everything. Because He rose from the grave, all of the claims He made are true and He is worthy of our absolute love and devotion and obedience.
Because Jesus rose from the grave, the idea of our faith being a 'Christmas and Easter' only faith is nonsensical as is the idea of being a 'Sunday only' Christian. If we belong to Him, we belong to Him every hour of every day and we give Him our best-not our leftovers.
Because He is King of Kings and Lord of Lords and because He is the Head of the Church, died for the Church, loves His Church, we do as well. It is in the context of the church, in community, where we learn and grow together, help each other become more like Christ, encourage each other and challenge each other to grow. We learn to love one another, to be patient with one another, to forgive one another, to persevere with one another. We build each other up. We are on mission together. That is Christ's intent for His people and His Church.
While it is true that we can worship Christ anywhere, it is equally true that we are saved into community and there are certain things that can only happen in terrms of our growth, in a corporate context. Much of the growth He desires for us cannot take place in any other context than in the community of believers, the Church.
Today we celebrated the resurrection, as we should, as is fitting! May we never grow dull and complacent as we consider the incredible reality: Jesus Christ, God the Son, took on flesh, dwelt among us, willingly laid down His life as a ransom for many, was crucified, paid the penalty for our sins, died, was buried and three days later rose from the grave!
But, even as we celebrate today, we must remember something very important: now the real work begins. When we look at the Gospels, after Jesus has shown Himself as the Risen Savior to His disciples, He does something very important: He commissions them (as He has us) to make disciples of all people. We are not to keep this incredible news of the Risen Savior to ourselves! Too much is at stake. Everything is at stake.
So, as a church as we look to the next few months, we ask the Lord to grant us the grace, wisdom and strength needed to pesevere, to lean into the things He has for us, to press forward to the calling He has for us individually and as a congregation. As we saw today in our sanctuary, a sanctuary that was for all practical purposes in overflow condition, we cannot reach more people if we do not move to a second service and Bible study. We have already begun taking first steps toward that. We are in process.
For the sake of the King and His Kingdom, let us stay in prayer, stay focused and move forward in faith! The Love of the Risen King compels us!
Grace and Peace,
Pastor Kevin
Jesus made amazing claims about Himself. There are only so many options when it comes to these claims. Jesus was either a legend, a liar, a lunatic or He was who He claimed to be, and if He was and is who He claimed to be, we must respond to Him. ...
Our God is simply amazing! Pray for His will and he will open doors....
There is so very much to be thankful for! We journeyed far in 2016, and we have more to look forward to in 2017....
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. ...
Keep ReadingChristmas 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 a...
Keep ReadingFollowers 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 sin...
Keep ReadingGod 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 ...
Keep ReadingWatching the events unfold in Israel is heartbreaking. How are we to respond and how are we to pray as Christians?...
Keep ReadingIt 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....
Keep ReadingFamily 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. ...
Keep ReadingThe 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...
Keep ReadingThe 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. O...
Keep ReadingWe 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,...
Keep ReadingChristmas 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!...
Keep ReadingWhat 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!...
Keep ReadingMy 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!...
Keep ReadingAs 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! ...
Keep ReadingThe 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. ...
Keep ReadingOur 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 th...
Keep ReadingMany 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. ...
Keep ReadingIt 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....
Keep ReadingStonebridge 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! ...
Keep ReadingReading 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. ...
Keep ReadingWe 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?...
Keep ReadingFollowing 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!...
Keep ReadingIt 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?...
Keep ReadingWe 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...
Keep ReadingOur 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! ...
Keep ReadingMuch 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 upheava...
Keep ReadingThe 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?...
Keep ReadingIf 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....
Keep ReadingTo 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...
Keep ReadingTrials 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....
Keep ReadingIf 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....
Keep ReadingWhat 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....
Keep Reading2020 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....
Keep ReadingNovember 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....
Keep ReadingAs 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?...
Keep ReadingYes 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. ...
Keep ReadingThere 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...
Keep ReadingOur 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?...
Keep ReadingAmerica 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 ...
Keep ReadingChurches 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 w...
Keep ReadingTexas 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....
Keep ReadingIf 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....
Keep ReadingThe 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....
Keep ReadingThese 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....
Keep ReadingOur new sermon series 'Wisdom in an Unwise Age' walks us through the book of Proverbs. God calls us to wisdom and to growth. ...
Keep ReadingGod'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....
Keep ReadingAmerica 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 Renaissanc...
Keep ReadingMany 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....
Keep ReadingYoung 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 i...
Keep ReadingThere 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. ...
Keep ReadingWe 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....
Keep ReadingLook around you. The opportunities to be on mission are far more than you realize....
Keep ReadingJesus' 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. ...
Keep ReadingSexual 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....
Keep ReadingEvangelical 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....
Keep ReadingWith 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. ...
Keep ReadingAs 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. ...
Keep ReadingThe way forward in this new 'Dark Age' is to return to the ancient paths....
Keep ReadingChristianity 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. ...
Keep ReadingIf you're going to grow in Christ, you must be stretched. Trials and tests are God's ordained means of growing our faith....
Keep ReadingReading 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....
Keep ReadingFrom one sermon series to another, we will see how God continues to call us to walk by faith...
Keep ReadingJesus 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...
Keep ReadingWe have so much to be thankful for and we must continue to move forward in faith....
Keep ReadingOur churches need revival. God is working in our church. We must not confuse praying for authentic revival with revivalism. ...
Keep ReadingWe should always thank God for His grace and mercy toward us...
Keep Reading2018 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...
Keep ReadingThis month we are emphasizing the importance of thankfulness and gratitude. We will continue this emphasis through the last weekend of November when we will begin our Christmas series. Gratitude and thankfulness seem to be in short supply in our culture today. The tragic irony: never in the history of humanity have a people had so much wealth and material possessions, to ...
Keep ReadingIf 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....
Keep ReadingThe 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....
Keep ReadingWhy 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!...
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