You may be aware that those promoting Jesus through the HE GETS US campaign created quite the buzz with their super bowl ad. The one in particular featured a variety of still pictures of possibly Christian people washing the feet of their polar opposites. Some might say enemies. The outrage ranged stemmed from those thinking the money would have been better spent helping the poor and needy, to those who would say Jesus only washed the feet of his disciples, not the average sinner out on the street. Jesus Christ- if ever there was a polarizing man it was Him. Who is Jesus? In John's gospel, as his adversaries are absolutely at wit's end debating him, they ask him "WHO ARE YOU?" John 8:25. They didn't know. As Jesus concludes His conversation in verse 58, he says, "I'm gonna tell you one more time, that before even your Father Abraham was born I was around." Talk about lighting a match stick and throwing it on a fire! They were ready to kill him there. WHO IS JESUS? This may be the most important question you and I answer. As we approach Easter let's allow Jesus, through His discussions with a variety of people to tell us for Himself WHO HE IS! Several times He said, "I Am..." The Light of the World. The Good Shepherd. The Truth. The Resurrection. This week I want us to focus on who Jesus claims to be and thru the story of someone who spent time with Him we'll examine the obstacles people have in seeing Jesus clearly. I hope you'll Join me! Pastor Mike ** PS- Being a People of Peace! In world of fighting & conflict, what is it like for us to be Peacemakers? Join me for a FIRESIDE CHAT at our home Sunday Feb 25 from 4-6pm. Food & drink provided!
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Sunday Service - 2/18/24 - Love Does (Week 5) "Loving When I Don't Like You" - Pastor Mike Warman2/20/2024 This being the week of Valentines, we need to remember Jesus talked a lot about what LOVE DOES. He even said some pretty outlandish things. Have you ever been around someone and they say something so outrageous, that it just leaves you shaking your head asking yourself, "Did you really just say that?" My typical response is, "You've got to be kidding right?" Well on one occasion Jesus did just that. Like the time he said we are supposed to love our enemies. RIGHHHTTT Jesus! Maybe the hardest thing you will ever do is to... Wish your ex to do well. Want to see the backstabbing co-worker recognized for your efforts. The kid who rarely hustles on your kids' team seems like the only one to be get noticed. Just crazy stuff. If we remember that Jesus idea about love has less to do with our emotional feelings of warm fuzzies and more to do with making good choices, then maybe we got a shot. But it will still be hard. What might it look like to get along with difficult, challenging or hard to love people?
How to Love Difficult People- We all have them in our life? How we respond them will have a lot to do with our emotional & physical health. Jesus knew this and was trying to give us a heads up when he said to "Love Your Enemies, Do Good to those who hate you, Bless those who curse you and pray for those who mistreat you!" Hope you'll join me Sunday! Remember- LOVE DOES! Pastor Mike ** PS- Join Patti and I for a brand new FIRESIDE CHAT at our home Sunday Feb 25. Being People of Peace will be a discussion on how Christians can be the PEACEMAKERS Jesus talked. 4:00 - 6:00pm. Food & drink provided! "What the World needs now is love, sweet Love." I don't think many of us would disagree. But how does it get it more? More importantly, how do you find a little more love in your life? Paul in 1 Corinthians 13, called the LOVE chapter of the Bible, describes in great detail what LOVE DOES. Now as you look at verses 4-8 on this note, it reads Love is .... Love is PATIENT. Love is KIND. Love hangs in there and doesn't give up. Love keeps on HOPING. Love NEVER FAILS. Each one of those is really an action. A verb. Something that Love DOES. What you and I need most is to live out LOVE. WE need to give it. We need to receive it. HOW? Here's a couple things we might do this week?
This week what we need most is for the Love of Jesus to flow through us to others. We need to respond to people and situations the way Jesus would. We need to be people who practice truthfulness. We DO PATIENCE. We Do KINDNESS and this is evidenced by our words and actions. This is the Love of Jesus!. This is what you and i need most in our marriages. In our work relationships. In our schools and churches. LOVE DOES Friend! See you Sunday! Pastor Mike ** Have you signed up for the Together Marriage Conference coming April 26-27? "To Love Your Neighbor as Yourself" is maybe one of the more familiar quotes Jesus ever spoke. A lot of us would nod and give verbal assent that this is indeed true. We should be people who love and think well of others. The problem comes when it's actually time to put this into action. See it's likely going to come at a time when someone has hurt us. Or been rude. Possibly stolen something that belongs to us. Or gossiped about us? We're not very likely to run into someone lying in a ditch needing immediate medical attention like the guy in the story Jesus told. you can read the story here What might it mean to for you & I to love our neighbor in the same way we love ourselves? Could I suggest a couple ways we might put this into principle into action this week? Or for the next few weeks! * Here's one... you know how you always cut yourself some slack when you mess up? How about you show others the same grace you'd like to be treated with if you were to make the same mistake. Show grace, patience, kindness, especially with those you might disagree with. * How about making it your main thing twice a week to look for someone who has a need you can meet, and offer to meet it. In Jesus story we read the Samaritan, "when he saw the man, he had compassion on him." He saw him, had his eyes up and was looking around. He was able to see the man in need. Have you ever wondered why so many people do nothing to help those around them? I ask the question this way, "Why don't people get off their donkey and help?" We'll tackle that one on Sunday! This week- who can you be a neighbor to? Is it possible the Lord has placed you in just the place you are because He wants someone helped, encouraged, loved in the Might Name of Jesus? See you Sunday friend! Pastor Mike Sunday Service - 1/28/24 - Love Does (Week 2) "What's Most Important" - Pastor Mike Warman1/30/2024 Hey what's the one thing you do that makes life fun for you? Is there just one? Probably not. On our jobs, many of us wear multiple hats with many responsibilities, so it's hard to narrow down what our main thing is! There's funny exchange in the Movie City Slickers where a grizzly old cowboy turns the young city slicker and asks him, "Do you know what the secret to life is?" The city slicker says, "No What?" The old cowboy puts up one finger and says "This." To which the city guys says, "Your finger is the secret to life?" The cowboy responds, "No, It's just one thing. You stick to that and everything else doesn't mean a thing." Well that's great! says the city guy, "What's the One Thing?" "Ahhh," says the cowboy, "That's what you got to figure out!" One day someone came to Jesus and asked him, "Teacher, what's the greatest commandment?" Or in other words, "What's the Main Thing we need to do in order to live life well?" Jesus responded, "To love the Lord Your God, with all your heart, soul, mind and strength". and the 2nd is like it, to love your neighbor as yourself." Let what might this love look like?
It might mean spiritually joining a small group or Bible Study, or making it your mission to worship Jesus on Sundays. It may mean becoming a better listener, to the Lord in His word or to your family as they talk to you. It could be an extra phone call or note to let someone know you're thinking & praying for them! It could be that you sacrifice something of your time, money or reputation in order to see their life enriched! This Sunday we're going to dig deeper in what it means to live out the Love of Jesus! I hope you'll join me either in person or online! Until then have an awesome week my friend! Pastor Mike . |
AuthorStonebridge Community Church is a Bible-based non-denominational church located in Dardenne Prairie, Missouri. Archives
March 2024
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