 Expectations- We all have them. For ourselves. Towards others. Sometimes they show up in the most unexpected ways. When Patti and I were newly married I just expected that she would pay the bills. That's what my mom always did. I never saw my dad write a check or pay anything, it was always mom at the kitchen table. Imagine my surprise when we got a couple late notices early on in our marriage???? See, I expected Patti to pay the bills. Problem was, in her home growing up her dad did the book work. What If we had only talked about this? What If we knew what each other was thinking?
This Sunday is Palm Sunday. It was the week Jesus rode into Jerusalem as King. You Can Read the Story here Jewish community was expecting a conquering King. A Hero, who would rid them of Rome. That's what they wanted so bad. Only problem was, Jesus didn't quite do what they were expecting. "What If" is a new 3 week series that will ask the What If question and get us thinking about expectations regarding Jesus and the Christian faith. What if Jesus were to come into our world? What would we expect from Him? What might He expect from you? Easter Sunday- What If the Story is True? What If the tomb is empty? What If any difference would it make if Jesus were still dead? What If we Doubt? What If we have questions? Does that mean we can't be right with God if we're not sure? Does Doubting Thomas have any value for people today? I hope you'll join me this week on Palm Sunday! Invite someone to come sit with you. Pastor Mike
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The sound starts muffled, but it is fixed a few minutes in. Our apologies.  I'm sure you've heard the question before, "How do you eat an elephant?" The thought being, it's so big how does a person ever accomplish such a HUGE task. The answer, one bite at a time. Not thinking of tackling the whole job at once, just taking the next step in the process.
How did one guy ever accomplish such a huge job as rebuilding a city? Or building a new computer? Or repairing a marriage? Or eliminating massive debt? Or breaking an addiction? Or starting a church? One step at a time. Doing the next right thing. This is what Nehemiah does as we see in Chapter 3. As you examine the challenging task in front of you.... are you overwhelmed? Does it seem like it's not possible? Nehemiah was gonna to complete a 2 1/2 mile wall with 10 massive gates in 52 days. How is that possible? (one clue is he might not have had to deal with building codes and inspections????) Here's a couple thoughts for us to think about:
This Sunday join me as we celebrate week 3 of 15 years at StoneBridge. I'm in Nehemiah 3. Read ahead and see how many different types of people Nehemiah enlisted to help him as he completed his impossible task of rebuilding a wall in 52 days. Read Nehemiah 3 here "I told them of about the gracious hand of my God upon me" and they said "Well then, let us get to work". God's hand is on you to do good, so let's get to work! Pastor Mike PS- This past Sunday two of our kids expressed their love for Jesus and we had the privilege of baptizing them as followers of Him!  Did you watch history being made on Saturday night? St. Louis soccer returned to downtown. Over 22,000 fans packed the brand new stadium. Not sure how many thousands more watched on tv at home or in bars & pubs across the region. This was a big deal for St. Louis.
Carolyn Kindle, well she's been the face of the team since MLS announced the expansion. In 2019 she and other leaders set about the task of bringing professional soccer back. They did it. The ripple affect the team will have on the local economy is amazing. Millions are projected.New housing is going up. Existing restaurants and new ones are spending a lot of money to capture the dollars from fans. All because someone had a dream. Pastor Dair reminded us Sunday, one person with passion who cares for others and seeks God will make a difference. You might not revitalize a city like Nehemiah, or for that matter Ms. Kindle, but you will make a difference to someone. God works through those who want to make the lives of others a little bit better. A little brighter. This Sunday we're thrilled to welcome Jeremy Plymale, Pastor of Cross Haven church. He's going to remind us of 4 actionable steps people take. In each and every instance of God moving, you will find these 4 things to be true. Kirsten along with Max, Ben & Daniel will be leading us in worship. I hope you'll join us! By God's goodness StoneBridge is continuing to encourage people to grow in their walk with Jesus. Because 15 years ago some humble people from Grace Chapel stepped out to see what God might do through them. This Sunday we'll baptize two of our students during the service. Looking forward to seeing you soon! Pastor Mike PS: Plan to join us after for pulled pork sandwiches and all the extras. sign up here. Today marks 15 years since we signed the building documents and Stonebridge officially had a church building. We are celebrating all month, and this past Sunday we had cake and ice cream, as well as a guest speaker and a couple familiar faces returning. |
AuthorStonebridge Community Church is a Bible-based non-denominational church located in Dardenne Prairie, Missouri. Archives
May 2023
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