Stonecreek Church

This past Sunday we heard from Pastor Joey McLaughlin as he unpacked our initiative to have 10 church campuses/plants in the next 10 years. Jesus died for the Church. Jesus loves the Church. Jesus’ bride is the Church. The Church is the hope of the world: it is the purposed people of Jesus gathering in His name, around His message, practicing His ways for the advancement of His kingdom.

This past Sunday we heard from Pastor Steven as he unpacked our next initiative: we’ve gone to the nations. We learned about God’s heart for people to hear the gospel to the ends of the earth, and that the reality of heaven and hell should give us a sense of urgency to share the Gospel. Jesus raised the stakes of eternity by giving us a missions mindset. If God’s heart beats for missions, what does yours beat for?

We can’t get over how awesome this weekend was! We heard from Pastor Mike Reinsel as he unpacked our next initiative – caring for the poor, the widow, and the orphan. We are a people of compassion and it is our duty to serve the least of these. How we treat the hurting and the lost is evidence of the faith that saved them. Serving them is not just something we do, but it becomes something we are. 

Baptism is an outward expression of an inward transformation!

This past Sunday we continued in our vision series, X Multiply, where Pastor Steven Gibbs talked about the power of the Gospel. Only the good news of the Kingdom of God has the power to save and change lives. We can’t just live the Gospel – we have to preach it with boldness. 

How do we fulfill the great commission? By making disciples! In this week's message, Steven Gibbs lays out a plan for a disciple making movement that could revolutionize the future of our church.

This past weekend we heard from Pastor Steven as he talked about what it means for our church to be a non-stop house of prayer. In order for church to be a house or prayer, our homes have to be houses of prayer. We have to find the secret place with Jesus so that we can see His supernatural power. 

After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying, “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen.” Revelation 7:9-12 If you read history you will find that the Christians who did most for the present world were just those who thought most of the next. It is since Christians have largely ceased to think of the other world that they have become so ineffective in this. Aim at heaven and you will get earth ‘thrown in’; aim at earth and you will get neither. C.S. Lewis Multiply 16 Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. 17 And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted. 18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Jesus What if the last thing He said, was my focus for 10 years? “And the word of God increased; and the number of the disciples multiplied in Jerusalem greatly; and a great company of the priests were obedient to the faith.” Acts 6:7 So the church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria had peace and was being built up. And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, it multiplied. Acts 9:31 24 But the word of God increased and multiplied. Acts 12:24 Know Jesus, Follow Jesus, and Lead others to do the same Jesus commanded it What if last thing said, first thing He wants talk about? We crave it The world cries out for it Our 2033 Vision: We pray that in 2033 this can be said of our Church: To know Jesus, follow Jesus, & lead others to do the same is our greatest passion. In eager anticipation of the 2000-year anniversary of the Great Commission, we’ve multiplied. We’ve become a non-stop house of prayer who truly believes His presence is better than life. We’ve ignited a disciple-making movement with a culture of deep, spiritual formation across every life stage that’s full of grace and truth. “Who’s your 3” is now common language. Our cities have heard about the beauty of Jesus, as evidenced by the 344,869 bold gospel conversations. We’ve celebrated 365 baptisms every year, as Jesus adds to our number day-by-day those who are being saved. Fully dependent on the Spirit of Jesus, darkness is pushed back, and the Kingdom of Light is advancing. People are being loved, the poor are being served, and the prisoners are being set free in Jesus’ name. We’ve gone to the nations. We’ve engaged 5 unreached people groups, planted 5 international churches, and sent 100 mission trips around the world. We’ve impacted the NowGen with over 100,000 kids & students experiencing Jesus at camp. We’ve equipped the saints for ministry with over 100 future leaders trained through our Leadership Development Program. We’ve become a movement of 10 campuses/church plants that are Jesus-centered, discipleship-driven, and transformation-focused houses of worship. And we’ve generously given whatever it takes to see Jesus' Great Commission realized and to live into a story way bigger than ourselves. We have songs that tell our story, some scars from the journey, but so much joy in our hearts because we know Jesus is is infinitely worth it.

We wake up for the things that we value the most. When we fail to awaken to the power of the church, we miss out on the life that God created us for. This past week, we heard from Pastor Sean Curry as he wrapped out our message series, Awakening. He unpacked Hebrews 10:19-25 and gave us 10 reasons why we can’t miss out on the importance of church. The Church is the hope of the world, and it is our duty to take it to the nations.  What are you willing to wake up for? “Nothing on earth has greater potential to change lives and carry out His kingdom work in your community, than your local church.There’s nothing like the local church when it’s working right. Its beauty is indescribable. Its power is breathtaking. Its potential is unlimited. No other organization on earth is like the church. Nothing even comes close.” Hebrews 10:19-23 “Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. 1. Jesus bled for this. 2. We get to and we have to. It’s a privilege and a command. Hebrews 10:24-25 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.” Acts 2:42-43 “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.” 3. To awaken your love and understanding for the Word of God. Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires. 4. To unlock the power of gathering in worship alongside other believers. Psalm 95:1-3 says:“Oh come, let us sing to the Lord; let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation! Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise! For the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods.” 5. To stop sleepwalking on community that will change your life for the better. 6. To help make prayer the DNA of your life. 7. To awaken faith in your family, your marriage, your kids, and generations to come. 8. To awaken your God-given gift. 9. To awaken your influence in a culture that wants you to conform. Ekklesia: Called out assembly or congregation If we want to make a difference in the world, we must be different from the world. 10. Because the church is the hope of the world. When the hope of the church is put on the move, everything changes. Acts 2:46-47 Day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved. 10. The church starts in the building but it can’t stay in the building.

2 When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. 2 And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. 3 And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. 4 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) God With Us Waking up to Presence of God 2 When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. 2 And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. 3 And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance. 5 Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven. 6 And at this sound the multitude came together, and they were bewildered, because each one was hearing them speak in his own language. (Acts 2:1-6) And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son[d] from the Father, full of grace and truth (John 1:14) 19 Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? (1 Corinthians 6:19) 14 For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, 15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, 16 that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19 and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Ephesians 3:14-19 What am I full of? “Light yourself on fire with passion and people will come from miles to watch you burn.” - John Wesley You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore. (Psalm 16:11) One thing have I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in his temple. (Psalm 27:4) You have said, “Seek my face.” My heart says to you, “Your face, Lord, do I seek.” (Psalm 27:8) Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished. And they recognized that they had been with Jesus.  (Acts 4:13) And he appointed twelve (whom he also named apostles) so that they might be with him and he might send them out to preach. (Mark 3:14) How hot is the fire in your soul? The power of God follows the presence of God. We proclaim the truth about God. How hot is the fire in your soul? Where should I repent?