How do you respond when someone invites you to breakfast? It probably depends on who’s asking.

In John 21, we find one of the most tender moments after the resurrection. Peter and the others have gone fishing. Back to what they know. Back to what feels familiar. A return to what feels safe.

They fish all night.  Nothing. Eight hours. Empty nets. Empty hands. That’s frustrating when it’s your livelihood. That’s how you feed your family. That’s how you pay the bills. A whole shift with nothing to show for it? Exhausting.

Then at daybreak. A voice cries out “Try the other side.” One more cast. And suddenly the nets are straining with fish. in that moment everything changes. John whispers, “It is the Lord.”  Peter jumps in and begins to swim for shore.   

Jesus was closer than they thought.

Here's the question I've been grappling with this week: How did Jesus know they were on the lake?

They didn’t organize a prayer meeting.  They didn’t send up a flare.  They didn’t go searching for Him. They weren't calling or looking for Him. How did He know.

Because He was looking for them. And maybe that’s a word for us.

When you’re exhausted. When you’ve gone back to old patterns. When you’re unsure what’s next.
When you feel like your efforts are producing nothing.   He’s not distant. 

He’s on the shore. He sees.  He knows.   He may even be calling out directions, but sometimes we don’t recognize His voice.   Still… He’s here.

When the disciples were in the storm, He was with them.  When He gave the Great Commission in Matthew 28, He promised, “I am with you always.”   When we are weary and heavy-laden in Matthew 11, He says, “Come to Me.”

And then comes the most beautiful part.  Jesus already has a charcoal fire burning. Bread laid out.  Fish frying. And He says: “Come have breakfast.”

No rebuke for Peter’s denial.   No lecture about faithlessness.  No reminder of their failure. No I told you so.  Just a simple invitation. “Come and have breakfast.”

Maybe this week you feel like your nets are empty. 

Listen carefully.  He still sees us. He is still looking for you & I. He is calling you not to quit. It's Jesus inviting you to “Come sit with Me.”  No shame.  No guilt.  Just grace over a warm fire.

Friend, listen for His voice this week.  Look for Him on the shoreline of your ordinary moments.

He is closer than you think. 

See you Sunday!
Pastor Mike 

The Sunday after Easter Matters More than You Think...

There’s something deeply appropriate about saying thank you when someone leaves you a gift.

This Sunday, we’re going to say thank you to Thomas.

In John 20, Thomas missed Easter. He wasn’t in the room when Jesus appeared to the others. For an entire week his closest friends tried to explain what they had seen. Jesus had showed up, spoke with them, ate with them, answered their questions. It was real. It was physical. It was undeniable.

But Thomas couldn’t accept their version of reality.  “Unless I see the nail marks in His hands and put my finger where the nails were… I will not believe.” (John 20:25)

Can you imagine 8–10 people you trust telling you something so unbelievable that you just can’t get there?     Thomas was honest about his doubts. His questions.

And here’s the gift: because he was willing to question openly, we get to see how Jesus responds to honest doubt.

The following Sunday, this Sunday in the story, Jesus comes again. And this time, He comes for Thomas.

No scolding.
No shaming.
No lecture.
Just an invitation: “Touch. See. Believe.”

Thomas falls to his knees and makes one of the most profound declarations in all of Scripture:

“My Lord and my God!” (John 20:28)

First, Thomas gives us the gift of seeing that Jesus is not threatened by our questions. He meets doubters with patience and grace. Second, the change in his life proves that Jesus resurrection was not a myth, not a vision, not a ghost, but physical, bodily, life-changing reality.

History tells us Thomas would eventually carry the message of Jesus all the way to India, where he gave his life for his faith. Doubt did not define him. An encounter with the risen Jesus did. He wouldn't have given his life for feel good story of myth.

And Thomas isn’t alone. The dramatic change in the Apostle Paul echoes the same story. Christ is Risen indeed. 

So what happened after Easter?  What were those next 40 days like for the followers of Jesus?

For the next four weeks, we’re going to walk through “The Next 40 Days”—how Jesus answered their questions, strengthened their faith when they wanted to quit, restored them in their shame, and gave them purpose that still shapes our lives today.

Easter wasn’t the end of the story.  It was the beginning.

I’d love for you to join us this Sunday as we begin the journey.

If you were with us on Easter we welcome you back.
If you’ve got questions, bring 'em. 
If you’re not sure what you believe, you're closer to Jesus than  you might imagine. 

The Next 40 days changed everything. Let’s walk through them together.

See You Sunday!

Pastor Mike

There are moments in life when it sure looks like it’s over.  Saturday night, two elite college basketball teams battled to the final breath. With .03 seconds left, the game looked finished until one improbable shot changed everything.

We’ve all seen moments like that. But life isn’t always a game.

Sometimes it’s a marriage that looks done.
A job that disappears. Friends who walk away.      Stress that overwhelms. Grief that sits heavy on your chest.

There is no place the words “it’s over” hit harder than at a grave. In John 11, Jesus stood in that place.

Lazarus was dead. The stone was heavy. The tomb was sealed. Hope felt buried.

Mary and Martha believed Jesus could have done something… if only He had been there sooner.

But Jesus wasn’t late. He was intentional.

The grief was real and Jesus entered into it. He wept. He was deeply troubled. He was angry at the brokenness of a fallen world. Death was never God’s design. Sin, sorrow, separation were not Plan A.

So if you’re carrying something that feels final, consider these two things:

1. Jesus grieves with you - He sees it. He feels it. He is not detached from your pain. The injustice bothers Him. The sorrow moves Him. The delay is not indifference.
2. His purposes will not be denied - Jesus said they would see the glory of God. Then He walked to the tomb… and told them to move the stone. And with a voice that still shakes graves, He called, “Lazarus, come out.”

And death had to let go.

Jesus is still moving stones. He is still calling names. He is still setting people free.

Easter reminds us that the grave does not get the final word. It’s not over until Jesus says it’s over.

And because He walked out of His tomb, whatever feels buried in your life is not beyond His voice.

Today He still asks: “Do you believe this?” “Will you trust Me?”

Friend — this Sunday we celebrate the victory that changed everything.

Jesus is Risen. He is Risen Indeed.

I look forward to celebrating Jesus resurrection with you this Sunday at 9:33am. 

- Pastor Mike  

​Remember when getting to sit at the “big table” felt like you finally made it? 

Palm Sunday reminds us of the day Jesus walked into the temple and flipped the “big tables.” Why?
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Because "the adults in the room" were missing the heart of God. 

The place that was meant for prayer, for seeking God, for outsiders to come and learn the truth about the One True God had turned more like a crowded farmers market. Full of noise, distraction, and bartering to make a buck. People were being pushed away from the Lord in the very place designed to draw them close. 

And Jesus wasn't going to stand for it. “My house will be called a house of prayer.” 

That moment wasn’t just about then for it speaks to us now.  Because today, you and I are God’s dwelling place (1 Corinthians 3:16). We have been brought near to the Lord so that we may in turn might make His presence shine on them.

How you might ask? 

• We carry His gentleness. When life squeezes us, what comes out? Jesus came in humility and His Spirit produces that same gentleness in us.(Gal. 5:23) 
• We meet real needs.  Jesus didn’t ignore the hurting, He moved toward them. Those in pain that day found the grace and favor of God. Not judgement for not having it all together. Who around you needs to experience the love of Christ this week?
• We stand for truth.  Jesus confronted what was wrong. Not harshly for the sake of harshness, but courageously, with truth and purpose. People need hope more than ever. Be that person!

People are still looking for a spot at the table. It may be you, or someone you know. Jesus wants to remove every obstacle to you sitting with Him at His banquet table. Ask yourself "who do I know that needs a seat at the table?" 

👉 Join us this Sunday at StoneBridge, and don’t come alone. Invite someone join you. As we heard from Ian on Sunday, someone invited he and Kari to our Easter service16 years ago, and their journey with Jesus has never been the same.

Grace & Peace,
Pastor Mike 

PS- Also Shannon has begun the work of remodeling our Kids preschool room. It's looking good!

Happy Birthday StoneBridge!
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March 14, 2008.  This was the day we signed the note with First Advantage Bank for our soon to be church home at 201 Meriwether Lewis Dr. I still remember sitting across from the bank president with our elder chair, equal parts faith and nerves, trusting that God would provide what we could not yet see.

And He did. Just days later, in time for Easter Sunday on March 23, we opened the doors. After weeks of painting, rearranging, and pouring in countless hours, we held our first services and welcomed the community in. It was exhausting… and electric. God had given us a home.

Now here we are18, years later.   Which brings us back to a simple but searching question: 

What do you see?    
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It’s easy to focus on obstacles… challenges… limitations. Every church and every life has them. StoneBridge certainly has. But by the grace of God, here we are, still standing, still growing, still being shaped.

We remember Thomas for his doubt, but Jesus saw something more and sent him to carry the gospel far beyond what anyone expected. Paul once opposed the faith, yet God transformed him into a bold voice for Christ to the nations.

Because the Lord sees what we often miss.

He sees potential where we see problems.    He sees purpose where we see pain.

So… what do you see?   When Jesus asked His disciples that question in John 4, they saw a crowd. A meal. A moment. But Jesus saw a harvest. He saw people ready to encounter God, even in a place no one would have imagined possible. In Samaria. No way!

What do you see for your life? 
For your family?
For your influence?
For His church at StoneBridge?

Here’s what I see:

I see 18 years of God’s faithfulness.
I see lives that have been changed.
I see a community touched by the grace of Jesus. 

I see what the Lord has done as we have trusted Him.  And I see a future still unfolding.

GOD IS NOW HERE.     Or… is it “God is nowhere”?

The difference is how you see it.  And what you see shapes how you live.

Join us this Sunday as we celebrate all that Jesus has done and lean forward in faith for what He wants to do next.

I'm Grateful to be on this journey with you!

Pastor Mike