Stonecreek Church

How you do anything is how you do everything. This past Sunday, we heard from Pastor Steven as he preached from 1 Peter 2:11-25. We learned that in light of the gospel, we can and should live our lives to the best of our ability. The way we live shows the world what we believe about God. Are you living because of His goodness? Or are you living a half-hearted life? Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul. Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation. Be subject for the Lord's sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme, or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good. For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people. Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God. Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor. Servants, be subject to your masters with all respect, not only to the good and gentle but also to the unjust. For this is a gracious thing, when, mindful of God, one endures sorrows while suffering unjustly. For what credit is it if, when you sin and are beaten for it, you endure? But if when you do good and suffer for it you endure, this is a gracious thing in the sight of God. For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps. He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly. He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls. 1 Peter 2:11-25 On a scale of 1-10, in the last 7 days, how much better is your world because you’re here? Live my faith out loud with extraordinary beauty and boldness.Lord, make my life so beautiful and bold so that people will believe.Let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling and jealousy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires. Romans 13:13-14 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven. Matthew 5:16 We are good so people will see God.Does my behavior cause other people to believe in God?So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. 1 Corinthians 10:31 Holy Intent How you do anything is how you do everything Where in my life am I giving a half-hearted effort? What’s the loudest voice in my life?

Knowing your identity produces resiliency. This weekend, Pastor Steven Gibbs unpacked 1 Peter 2:1-10 as we continued in week 3 of our teaching series, Resilient: Following Jesus in a World That’s Falling Apart. The Bible tells us that we are a part of a royal priesthood and that we have a glorious inheritance. If we believe that to be true, we can walk through this life with confidence. If our identity is found in anything else, our foundation will crumble and we’ll be left wondering what went wrong.  Knowing your identity produces resiliency. So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander. Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation— if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good. As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For it stands in Scripture: “Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious, and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.” So the honor is for you who believe, but for those who do not believe, “The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone,” and, “A stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense.” They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do. But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God's people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. 1 Peter 2:1-10 In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. And when he came up out of the water, immediately he saw the heavens being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.” Mark 1:9-11 What you feed grows, what you starve dies.Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good!    Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him! Psalm 34:8 My identity is personal, but not private. What cornerstone is my identity built on? How many times do I read my bible every week?

What do you spend time thinking about? Do you ponder the reality of eternity, or are you focused on the things in your life that don’t really matter in the long-run? This weekend we continued in our study of 1 Peter as Pastor Steven unpacked 1 Peter 1:13-25. The Bible commands us to live holy lives in light of the work of Jesus. As we prepare our minds for action, we are preparing for the hope and life that our souls crave. This is how we put hope on the move. This is how we live resilient lives.  “Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.” And if you call on him as Father who judges impartially according to each one's deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile, knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot. He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made manifest in the last times for the sake of you who through him are believers in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God. Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart, since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God; for ‘All flesh is like grass and all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, and the flower falls, but the word of the Lord remains forever.’ And this word is the good news that was preached to you.” 1 Peter 1:13-25 Put hope on the move My Mind Matters Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. Philippians 4:8 Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness? Romans 6:16 Focus our mind on things that really matter  Sell your possessions, and give to the needy. Provide yourselves with moneybags that do not grow old, with a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys. Luke 12:33 What do I spend my time thinking about? Half-hearted lives won’t move hope Let not your heart envy sinners, but continue in the fear of the Lord all the day. Surely there is a future, and your hope will not be cut off. Proverbs 23:17-19 “If your God never disagrees with you, you might be worshiping an idealized version of yourself.” Tim Keller I will run in the way of your commandments when you enlarge my heart! Psalm 119:32 Find your few Have I allowed a root of bitterness or unforgiveness to grow deep in the soil of my soul? How will I put hope on the move?

What an awesome Easter! This past Sunday, we heard from Pastor Steven as he kicked off our brand new series, Resilient: A study through 1 Peter. We learned about the strength of having a living hope – a hope in Jesus – in the midst of a world that is falling apart. The things of this life will fail us and let us down, but Jesus is constant, victorious, and never failing.  What a TERRIBLE way to live!  Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who are elect exiles of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in the sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and for sprinkling with his blood: May grace and peace be multiplied to you. 1 Peter 1:1-2 Why am I trying to prove I belong? Why do I spend so much time building a life that I can’t keep? Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God's power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. 1 Peter 1:3-5 Is my hope dead or alive? In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls. 1 Peter 1:6-9 Hope is the DNA of people who learn from loss. How do I grow hope?

What does your prayer life reflect about the condition of your heart? Do you pray about what you care about, or do you pray about what God cares about? This past weekend, Pastor Steven challenged us to deepen our prayer life and to take on the motivation and mission of Jesus. Our prayers have the power to build kingdoms – our kingdom or God’s kingdom, and only one of them will last.  And Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.” Matthew 9:35-38 Jesus' mission is more than meets the eye. What kingdom do my prayers build? Jesus' motivation is what He sees in our soul. Do I see people?  You pray about what you care about, and you care about what you pray about. Pray about what God cares about. What if I got today what I prayed for yesterday?  What if I  got in eternity what I prayed for today? Golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. Revelation 5:8 And another angel came and stood at the altar with a golden censer, and he was given much incense to offer with the prayers of all the saints on the golden altar before the throne, and the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, rose before God from the hand of the angel.   Revelation 8:3-4

Do you want God to show up in your life in powerful, wondrous ways? What if an increased devotion to prayer was the key to your breakthrough? This past weekend, we heard from Pastor Sean Curry as he invited us into life-changing prayer. There’s a lot we can learn from the early church and the way they saw God move – and it all starts with prayer.  And the foreigners who join themselves to the Lord, to minister to him, to love the name of the Lord, and to be his servants, everyone who keeps the Sabbath and does not profane it, and holds fast my covenant— these I will bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer; their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be accepted on my altar; for my house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples. Isaiah 56:6-7 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you. Acts 1:8 When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. 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 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. Acts 2:42-43 The reason we can be confident praying in power is because the power of God dwells within us. If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you. Romans 8:11 Now there was a disciple at Damascus named Ananias. The Lord said to him in a vision, "Ananias." And he said, "Here I am, Lord." And the Lord said to him, "Rise and go to the street called Straight, and at the house of Judas look for a man of Tarsus named Saul, for behold, he is praying, and he has seen in a vision a man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him so that he might regain his sight." Acts 9:10-12 Here I am, Lord. …a devout man who feared God with all his household, gave alms generously to the people, and prayed continually to God. Acts 10:2 The power of prayer is found in your persistence to pray. Even as Peter was saying these things, the Holy Spirit fell upon all who were listening to the message. “The Jewish believers who came with Peter were amazed that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles, too. Acts 10:44-45 Our prayers have the power of life because they are rooted in the person of Jesus. 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. 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. But Paul cried with a loud voice, "Do not harm yourself, for we are all here." And the jailer called for lights and rushed in, and trembling with fear he fell down before Paul and Silas. Then he brought them out and said, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" And they said, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household." And they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house. And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their wounds; and he was baptized at once, he and all his family. Acts 16:26-33 Could it be when we allow ourselves to get to a place of desperation, God’s power will show up in ways we could never imagine?

Is your prayer life uncomfortable and awkward? Do you dread praying because you just don’t know how to relate to God? This past Sunday, we heard from Pastor Aaron Bennett as he unpacked what it means to enter into prayer as God’s friend. Relationships are powerful and real prayer starts when we learn how to love being in God’s presence. Real prayer is deeply personal and it connects us to God’s power. Maybe you haven’t seen God move the way you truly desire because you have had a wrong perception of prayer: after all, the house of God is a house of prayer. It is written, “My house will be called a house of prayer.” Matthew 21:13 What if THIS house became a house of prayer? What if YOUR house becomes a house of prayer? Prayer is complicated. The truth is… You weren’t made to perform for God. You were made to connect with God. What if we could ask Jesus for advice on how to pray? MATTHEW 6:5-13 “Pray, then, in this way: ‘Our Father, who is in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done, On earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil.’” Real prayer is deeply rewarding. Real prayer is deeply personal. Real prayer gets better with practice. “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.” John 15:13-15

Shame is the ultimate identity thief and only Jesus offers restoration. This past Sunday we closed our sermon series, “Questions From Jesus,” as Pastor Steven tackled Jesus’ most repeated question: “Do you love me?” While we might remember our mistakes and live with regret, Jesus remembers and restores. We don’t have to live with the shame of our biggest mistake; we can live in a new identity found in Jesus, our Savior. When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Feed my lambs.” He said to him a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Tend my sheep.” He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, “Do you love me?” and he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep. Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were young, you used to dress yourself and walk wherever you wanted, but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will dress you and carry you where you do not want to go.” (This he said to show by what kind of death he was to glorify God.) And after saying this he said to him, “Follow me.” John 21:15-19 Regrets don’t have to rule the rest of your life. What happened that I need to talk to God about? God allows you to fail so that you can see that it is his grace, not your success, that is the basis of your acceptance.

Your consistent habits communicate your crucial values. Are you creating habits that bring you back to the goodness of God or do they have you looking for Jesus in places He can’t be found? This past Sunday we heard from Pastor Steven as he unpacked Luke 2:41-52 and the first question Jesus ever asked: “Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?” When we take Jesus for granted, we run the risk of losing track of Him all together. Jesus is waiting for you; He’s inviting you back to His Father’s house. “Now his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the Passover. And when he was twelve years old, they went up according to custom. And when the feast was ended, as they were returning, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. His parents did not know it, but supposing him to be in the group they went a day’s journey, but then they began to search for him among their relatives and acquaintances, and when they did not find him, they returned to Jerusalem, searching for him. After three days they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. And all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers. And when his parents saw him, they were astonished. And his mother said to him, ‘Son, why have you treated us so? Behold, your father and I have been searching for you in great distress.’ And he said to them, ‘Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?’ And they did not understand the saying that he spoke to them. And he went down with them and came to Nazareth and was submissive to them. And his mother treasured up all these things in her heart. And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature and in favor with God and man.” Luke 2:41-52 Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it. Proverbs 22:6 Consistency will take you where convenience can’t. What do your consistent rhythms say about your crucial values? For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul? Mark 8:36 Have you taken Jesus for granted? It’s in the grind that you find the goodness of God. What is your growth plan? Is there something you need to go back to? For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, 'Abba! Father! Romans 8:15 Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God; so we are. 1 John 3:1 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 7:11

 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?