Stonebridge Bible Church Sermons

Men have always had the same responses to crisis: How long? How can this go on? Why do the righteous suffer? Why do the wicked prosper? God, why aren’t You doing something? Unlike most prophets who spoke to Judah, Israel, Assyria, the Babylonians–some people group–this is a conversation between a prophet and God. Join us as we study this unique prophetic text of Habakkuk.

In the second week of Stonebridge’s Sunday morning live stream amid Covid-19 forcing churches to cease holding in-person worship services, Michael and Wayne discuss how the church is persevering and Michael offers listeners encouragement in Christ, moving beyond the fear.

Michael and Executive Pastor Wayne Wolf update Stonebridgers in the church's first Sunday morning live stream broadcast to how the church is reacting to Covid-19 and its effect on members, Franklin, Nashville and the nation.  Michael offers words of encouragement from Psalm 18.

Michael teaches on the book of Nahum, which delivered a potent decree of God's judgment in three short chapters. Nahum's message is clear: God is indeed a God of wrath. Is it possible, however, that God's wrath demonstrates His love?   Nahum prophesies to the Ninevites 100-150 years after Jonah’s reluctant ministry, which resulted in the greatest “revival” in Old Testament record. Nineveh is an interesting chapter because it was a serious capital. It was surrounded by massive 100-foot walls, 200 towers set around the wall for defense, 150-foot wide, 60-foot deep moat surrounded this incredible fortress. The city was massive. Its grandeur couldn’t rival Jerusalem’s at its zenith. Nineveh responded to Jonah’s message in 760BC. However, In less than 40 years (by 722BC) they had regressed completely back to their old ways. Sargon II destroyed Samaria, the capital of the Northern Kingdom of Israel at that time. 10 tribes were dispersed in that area, and under Sennacherib the Assyrians nearly captured Jerusalem, then under King Hezekiah’s reign, in 701 BC. By the time of Nahum, circa 660BC, Assyria was at the height of its power and wealth under Ashurbanipal, whose reign from 669-633BC exceeded all other Assyrian kings. Nineveh was his capital and fortress, but Ashurbanipal’s sons were no match for the future their father had established and their power failed. Nahum is God’s voice of an overflowing flood (Nahum 1:8), which literally came true when the Tigris overflowed and destroyed part of Nineveh’s wall. Babylonians took advantage of the opportunity, breached the wall through the destroyed sections and invaded, plundered, burned, and destroyed the city. Nahum 3:11 prophesied that Nineveh would “be hidden” and indeed it was until the site was discovered in 1842. Nahum stated that God was coming not with a call to repentance, but with the sword of judgment. While Jonah brought God’s warning of judgment unless they repented, Nahum brings God’s vice of judgment in cold terms, a pronouncement of death.

Michael teaches an overview of the book of Micah, a reminder of God's Word, His coming judgment, and His gracious goodness. From Bruce Wilkinson's and Kenneth Boa's, Talk Thru the Bible: “Micah prophesied during a period of intense social injustice in Judah. False prophets preached for riches, not for righteousness. Princes thrived on cruelty, violence, and corruption. Priests ministered more for greed than for God. Landlords stole from the poor and evicted widows. Judges lusted after bribes. Businessmen used deceitful scales and weights. Sin had infiltrated every segment of society. A word from God was mandatory.  Micah enumerates the sins of the nation, sins which will ultimately lead to destruction and captivity. But in the midst of blackness there is hope. A Divine Deliverer will appear and righteousness will prevail. Though justice is now trampled underfoot, it will one day triumph.”

Widely regarded as a children's story or a "whale's tale," Jonah is a text many of us ought to look at with fresh eyes. It is the living word of God. It’s also ridiculed by scholars because they cannot abide a man being swallowed by a large fish and survive. They have worked overtime to dismiss and re-interpret or allegorize the account entirely. G. Campbell Morgan: Men have been looking so hard at the great fish that they have failed to see the great God. This is a good reminder for how we want to read the Scripture: As God’s living word.  Nineveh was a famous literal city. God sent His prophet Jonah to warn of impending doom; Jonah tries to escape his duty and the story unfolds.  Today, Michael teaches an overview of the book of Jonah. 

Michael teaches an overview of the book of Obadiah. We don't know a lot about the prophet Obadiah or the exact timeframe in which this was written, but we know a lot about his message. It's very clear.

Amos prophesied during a period of national optimism in Israel… But below the surface, greed and injustice were festering. The prophet Amos strives to remind God’s people who He is, what He has promised, and to contend that He will indeed do as He said. He is unchanging and His Word is sure. Michael teaches an overview of the book of Amos, perhaps the oldest book of the Minor Prophets. 

Joel uses a recent calamity in the nation of Judah to teach his hearers a prophetic lesson. A locust plague had invaded the land, destroying every green thing in its path. Grapevines were stripped clean; grain fields lay bare; fruit trees stood leafless and unproductive. The devastation was so complete that even grain offerings to God were impossible. Joel uses the locust invasion as the starting point of his sermon. As bad as the locust plague was, it would pale by comparison with what God was about to bring upon His people. An army from the north would come to attack the nation, leaving behind devastation even more complete than that of the locusts. The only hope for Joel’s hearers: heartfelt repentance before that terrible day arrives.  Joel 1:1 “The Word of the Lord that came to Joel” – this underscores that this is the very word of God, and I don’t think we can be reminded of this too often. What Joel received, Judah heard, and today we’re reading it.  Join us as Michael teaches on Joel, a small but influential text which calls us to repentance.

Michael teaches an overview of the book of Hosea. Though judgment and destruction are sure, salvation will come. Hosea is called by God to prophesy during Israel’s last hours, just as Jeremiah would be called years later to prophesy to the crumbling kingdom of Judah. Hosea’s personal tragedy becomes an intense illustration of Israel’s national tragedy. It is a story of one-sided to love and faithfulness—between a prophet and his faithless wife (Hosea and Gomer) and Jehovah and His faithless people. Just as Gomer is married to Hosea, Israel is betrothed to God. In both cases the bride plays the harlot and runs after other lovers. But unconditional love keeps seeking even when it is spurned. In Hosea’s case, that means buying back his wife from the slave market; for Israel it means purifying punishment followed by restoration to the Land of Promise."