The Resistance Against Loneliness
The story of Christ coming to earth and taking on human nature—the Incarnation—impacts us more than we may realize. That momentous event shouts to us of the nearness of God by the prophetic name given to Christ—Immanuel, meaning God with us. God is with us. Heaven has come to earth. God is now very near. We are never alone. On those days we sense loneliness even in a crowd of people, we can be assured of the tender presence of our God to be to us all we need and long for.
Christmas!
Join us on Christmas morning as we reflect on the greatest and most needed gift we’ve been given: Jesus. Come witness a Christmas miracle as Matt shares a brief sermon!! (In a hoodie and jeans and sneakers no less…) :) He will share with us one of the amazing things that can happen as we pray to our Wonderful Counselor.
The Resistance Against Despair (Advent week 4)
In the midst of our struggles, we need not despair. We can have hope because Jesus came and is coming again. Because He came, we know that our Maker cares so deeply that He, Himself, entered into our world to bring restoration and redemption, and we can have hope that God is with us in our trials, bringing us comfort even in pain. We can have hope because when He comes again, we will find that all our trials have produced for us incomparable honor and joy.
The Resistance Against Worry (Advent week 3)
In this season, we may find that the worries of life distract us from eternal things and steal our peace. But the Advent of Christ tells us that God’s grace is enough, and we can discover a peace that surpasses our understanding.
The Story of God and Man Part 11: Kingdom Consummation
This week we will wrap up the Story of God and Man series, and at the same time kick off the Advent season by reflecting on the glorious promise that Jesus is coming back! Join us as we remind each other of the good news that He is coming back soon to judge, to heal, and to rule forever.
The Story of God and Man Part 10: The Bible
SERMON POWERPOINT Sunday, November 20, 2022 Brad Barrett The Story of God and Man: The Bible— Week 11 I enjoy reading. Every night before bed I’m reading a chapter or two from a book. Usually it non-fiction. A biography. Some historical event. Something from World War II. But there is one Book I read every day that is completely different than any other book. It’s the Bible. This book is not peripheral or an add-on. Rather, it has been the…
The Story of God and Man Part 9: The Church
SERMON POWERPOINT Sunday, November 13, 2022 Brad Barrett The Story of God and Man: The Church— Week 10 Why are we here? Why are we gathered? Habit? We like people? It seems like a good thing to do? Someone invited me so I thought, “Why not?” Or perhaps we’re simply unsure. We are nearing the end of a sermon series going through what could be described as an overview of the Bible. It’s Stonebrook’s Statement of Faith where we examine…
The Story of God and Man Part 5: Blessings and Curses
In God’s glorious, unfolding plan to bring salvation to the earth, he patiently worked for centuries while dealing with his chosen but very stubborn people, Israel. They were God’s treasured possession, and he longed to pour out his heavenly blessings on them, but they repeatedly spurned him and so received judgment. This eventually revealed the need for something greater—actually, Someone greater—leading us to the New Covenant of Jesus Christ.
The Story of God and Man Part 4: Promise and Covenant
In the biblical recounting creation, man’s rebellion, and the judgement of God through the flood, mankind’s core problem is starting to come into focus: “the inclination of the human heart is evil from youth onward” (Genesis 8:21 CSB). This week we focus on God’s initiation of a rescue plan to deliver humanity from their slavery to sin: by making a covenant with Abraham that will bless the whole world. In this, we will see God’s covenant-making with mankind is the framework of the entire Bible, helping us make sense of even the confusing stories and prophecies of the Old Testament: God offers a covenant relationship to humanity. How will we respond?
The Story of God and Man Part 3: The Flood of Noah
This Sunday we will read one of the more remarkable stories in biblical history—the Flood of God’s judgment on the entire world, saving only one man and his family. This event, while it may provoke skepticism due to its extraordinary and severe nature, is declared not only in Genesis but by the Lord Jesus as a true, historical event of judgment and mercy. It serves as a warning to a future day of judgment when Christ returns to earth and as a reminder of God’s great mercy to us when we believe in his great deliverance through his Son.
The Story of God and Man Part 2: The Fall
Have you ever wondered why so many things in this life are relentlessly so difficult, so painful, and so frustrating? Why are so many things so far from what they should be? The Bible provides an answer for all of us that can bring perspective, endurance, and hope in God’s beautiful solution to the world’s greatest problem.
The Story of God and Man Part 1: Creation
For our culture today, the most controversial thing Christians believe is that each of us was created by Almighty God, who designs and reveals our identity and purpose, and to whom we owe love, worship, and obedience. We are not our own. We belong to God. Join us this week as we marvel at the glorious truth of our wonderful, sovereign, loving creator, and the impact of that reality on our daily life.
The Story of God and Man: Series Intro
Brad introduces our series on the Story of God and Man.
Luke 24 & Acts 1,2 -Brothers, What Shall We Do?
A Look Back at Luke 1 Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile a narrative of the things that have been accomplished among us, 2 just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word have delivered them to us, 3 it seemed good to me also, having followed all things closely for some time past, to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, 4 that you may have certainty concerning the things you…
Luke 24 – The Resurrection: From Suffering to Glory
Though Jesus’ own disciples were highly skeptical that he actually rose from the dead, they were persuaded when they saw him and when he proved from the Scriptures what they should have already seen and believed. This Sunday we will read about what is arguably the most important event in history: the resurrection. We’ll discover some powerful implications for us in our daily lives, such as addressing our doubts and our source for truth.
Luke 22:66-23:25 – The Trials of Jesus and the Wisdom of the Crowds
This week we come to one of the most confounding scenes in the gospel narrative, Jesus’s trial before the Jewish Council, Pilate, Herod, and the Crowds. We see Jesus rightly identified as The Son of God, the Messiah, the King of the universe. We see him falsely accused of crimes he did not commit. We see him acquitted by both Jewish and Roman political authorities. But we see him taken away by the crowd to be murdered. In all this we get a glimpse into our own sinful hearts, and marvel at Jesus’s mission to save the world.
Luke 22:39-65 – Triumphing Over Temptation
Today’s passage contains the story of how three individuals responded to temptation. One response was catastrophic (Judas), one grievously disloyal (Peter), and one heroic (Jesus). We’ll look at Jesus’ heroic triumph over temptation and seek to learn how we can prepare ourselves to endure temptation. For there will likely be times when Satan will demand to sift us like wheat.
Luke 22:1-38 – The Betrayal of the Son
SERMON POWERPOINT Sunday, July 31, 2022 Brad Barrett Luke 22:1-38 The Betrayal of the Son The setting from the text of Scriptures this morning is just hours before Jesus is crucified. Brutally murdered. A more unjust treatment the world has never seen. But it’s no surprise, for Jesus had previously told the disciples that this day was coming. Luke 9:22 ESV “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes,…