 December 28. Times Square New York. Just a couple days prior to New Year's Ball Drop, hundreds of people get together and celebrate Good Riddance Day. This past year they apparently put everyone's plan on the big marquee.
What's the day about? People letting go of their past. Some of the issues are not so serious...for other's it's a conscious choice to no longer allow their past to define their future. They write down what they're letting go of. For some they take a match and burn the paper. The goal is to make a formal declaration they will no longer live life looking backwards. All of us have a past. Far too many of us find ourselves prisoners of it. Jephthah the 8th Judge of Israel had a past. His dad hooked up with a prostitute. It wasn't his fault his dad did it. Because of this his family rejected him. They kicked him out of the house. Disowned him. He lost any shot of an inheritance. Trashed his reputation. He became angry. He heart got hard toward life and people. He began to hand out with other angry young men. Still happening today. Several years later, God used him to set free the people of God. God hadn't given up on Jephthah. If you feel like you're stuck in your past, what can you do?
Everyone has a past. Jesus knows where you've been. With Him it's about moving forward into tomorrow. I believe the Lord takes the things of our past, both good and bad, and can bring good from it. To His glory. See you this Sunday! - Pastor Mike
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 Does it really matter? I mean after all the time, sweat, sometimes tears, do you see any appreciable difference around you?
I think one of the unique things that make us human is the desire or drive to matter. To feel like what we are doing or have done makes a difference. At work. In our families. In our churches. We are wired to feel like we have worth and value. After the recent storms that ripped through St. Louis, my son told me he & couple friends were off to give help. They brought bottle water. Used chainsaws to cut up blocking trees. Something they could do to make a difference. God had told Gideon he was going to use him to make a difference. He was going to deliver his family and friends from the attacks of the enemy. It wouldn't be easy. And Gideon questioned the assignment. (see Judges 6:13) God where have you been in all of this? Where are the there any signs that you care about us? I can't do it- I'm not good enough. This is too much for me. What do we need to remember. The Lord told Gideon "I'm going to save you and give you victory" (Judges 7:7). How did our Lord use Gideon that is applicable to you and me today? * He told Gideon to start at home. Begin near him to turn from trusting in things other that God. Is that true of us today... are there any "idols" that we're counting on to rescue us other than Jesus. Our money? Our strength. Our smarts? Our connections? Our personality? "Go in the strength you have" (judges 6;14), the Lord told Gideon. Our Lord only asked Gideon to do what he could do. Tear down an alter. Select some men. Give them ordinary supplies- a torch, some clay pots. Some trumpets. Follow instructions. Then the Lord used Gideon and his small band of men for a huge victory. Jesus says, Hey Friend- You and Me- let's mentor & love on students. Or Open your home and & care about others. Or serve some coffee with a smile. Ordinary people. Doing ordinary things. And the Lord saves His people. Together. Jesus. You. Me. To God be the Glory! See you this Sunday @ 9:33am Pastor Mike  I came across some interesting data on our relationship with mirrors. 10% NEVER look in the mirror and of those who do, almost 70% of us do not like what we see. Only 31% say they have a positive impression of themselves when they see their reflection.
What do you see when you look in the mirror? If you're on social media much you've no doubt seen the rise of the use of beauty filters, ways to make our skin look tanned. Or whiten our teeth. Make our noses smaller and our jaws more square. Botox sales are up to improve our view in the mirror. We try and tone done the look of our weight. All because we don't like what we see in the mirror. Gideon, and unlikely hero from Judges 6 once looked in the mirror.... and he didn't like it either. He was being bullied. Living in fear. Hiding out. He was the youngest in his family and his family didn't matter. So the day Jesus showed up and said. "The Lord is with you mighty warrior!" rocked him. See, I believe God sees in us what we can not or will not see. Jesus called Peter a might rock, when at the time he was anything but. The Lord's answer to Gideon is the same to us... He is with you. Right now. On this day. The Lord is WITH YOU. (v.12 & 16) Gideon went out and created an alter and named it "The Lord is PEACE" (v.24) Peace of heart is one of the ways we know God is with us. On Sunday I want us to look a little deeper at this guy Gideon. How he moved from a life of fear to one of boldness. How did he move from having a little god (small g) to Big God (capital G). Being certain God is with us! This is the key to what we see when we look in the mirror. I hope you'll join me this Sunday! Pastor Mike Ever watch a mom with a toddler? Whoa. Often exhausted from lack of sleep and then keeping the little ones with boundless energy corralled calls for Superhuman strength.
Then there are the times mom comes to the rescue of the pre-teen kiddo. Whether bringing the forgotten lunch to school, or helping to navigate the confusing changes of puberty, it takes the wisdom of Yoda to keep your kid from going off the rails. Teen years - ahh you've almost made it. Well until driving, prom dress shopping, break ups and "where will I go to college?"... It takes courage to be a good mom. If someone came up to you one day and said, "Hey, I have this job for you. You are gonna grow a human in your belly, kind of like an alien. Then one day that baby is going to come out of your body, and that whole process is going to be really intense. And then the human will be really helpless and your job is to turn it into a fully functioning adult with an important place in the world. Okay, ready set go!" Not sure how many would sign up for this??? Crazy stuff! On Sunday we're going to look at how one woman's courageous trust in God changed the course of history. She showed courage to not give up when things were difficult. Courage to have a child when times were dark & scary. Her government was not baby friendly. Her courage allowed her to make some really tough choices. Not once but twice did she release her child to the Lord. And in the end God greatly rewarded her faith. On Sunday we're celebrate moms. Saying thank-you. Reminding us all that Trust in the Lord is the only way we make it in giving our kids a shot at a good future! Pastor Mike  There are a couple key things that unlikely heroes do for us. This week we're going to look at the life of a woman named Deborah. She's a woman God used to rescue His people and she has a pretty remarkable story in Judges 4 & 5.
Barak is a leader of some 10,000 men. God mentions him by name in Hebrews 11:32 as being an example of a man of faith. In the story in Judges 4 we find Deborah sending for him & giving him a simple message. It's time to rise up, God is with you, take your men and go watch the Lord give you victory (see verses 4-7). But he's a bit nervous and here's where Deborah's influence comes into play. Here's what Unlikely Heroes do for others- I bet you've found this to be true in people you look up to... 1) She promises to go with him into battle. She's not gonna do the work, that's what God has for Him to do, but she does promise to encourage him and be there for him. People who encourage others to be better, are there in both their words and their time, their presence. 2) She speaks the truth to Barak. She tells him that God will give his army success but the chance he had to be the hero will pass to another. V.9 I'm not sure how this sat with the guy, but he does win the battle and God's Word thru Deborah is true (see Judges 4:20-23) We all need people to speak truth to us and we need to be open to hearing what they say! Isn't this what Jesus does for us. He promises to never leave us. Because He is the Way the TRUTH and the Life, He's coming to come along side us and lead us in the right direction. Would you be a person who is there for others? Who encourages them by both your presence and your words? That is what is needed more than ever today. See You Sunday Pastor Mike PS - thanks for praying this past weekend. So grateful we go to encourage 500-600 kids and families at the Egg Hunt. Thankful for 15 StoneBridge servants who came and gave a couple hours to Share the Love of Jesus in the Lives of People! |
AuthorStonebridge Community Church is a Bible-based non-denominational church located in Dardenne Prairie, Missouri. Archives
June 2025
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