Flagstone Church of Christ

Many of us have allowed ourselves to accumulate a lot of junk. Not old clothes or broken toys or containers of random bolts and electrical cords, but we accumulate addictions and criticisms and debt and various anxieties. We hold onto thoughts and habits and even relationships that are unhealthy or hurtful, and they end up clogging up our minds and our hearts and keep us from freely experiencing t...

After the final Christmas songs fade in Luke 1–2, a storm begins to gather around the newly born Son of God. The joy of angels gives way to danger, and the fate of Jesus—and His family—rests largely in the hands of His earthly father, Joseph. As Herod schemes to destroy every boy two years old and under, Joseph responds with quiet, decisive faith, following God’s direction without hesitation in th...

As Christmas Day approaches, many of us go through our lists of people we need to buy gifts for to make sure we haven't left anyone out. There are some gifts that are more generic and given without a lot of thought. There are some gifts that have a special significance to them or a special reasons behind the giving. Centuries ago there was an old man who took an infant in his arms and recogniz...

The winter holiday season can easily become one of the most stressed-filled, chaotic times of the year. We have parties and gift exchanges and travel plans and holiday traditions that can quickly create a sense of anxiety and pressure. Add to that the negative feelings many of us experience during this time of year with broken relationships, family strains, and maybe memories of lost loved ones. S...

Many of us have watched so many Christmas pageants, sang so many Christmas carols, and gazed at so many nativity scenes that we may no longer feel surprise or wonder when we look at the story of the birth of Jesus. But the nativity story is full of unexpected moments, including when Jesus’ mother Mary was surprised by a visit from an angel. What was her reaction to this unexpected messenger? And w...

What songs are on your Christmas playlist? “All I Want for Christmas Is You”? “Last Christmas”? Or maybe something a little more classic like “Jingle Bells” or “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer”? Christmas playlists help us enjoy the holiday season with songs dedicated to Santa Claus and sleigh rides and winter wonderlands. But there are also several Christmas songs that help focus our thoughts on t...

Regardless of the holiday season, HOPE can sometimes be in short supply. We may have placed our greatest hopes in finite things that have failed us, or been let down by someone or something in our lives that promised satisfaction. When Paul tells us in Romans 15:13 that we can have hope abundantly along with joy and peace, he wasn't kidding. Because we place our hope in someONE that is unshaka...

We live in a culture that consistently communicates "what's mine is mine." It's my stuff...it's my house...it's my car...it's my bank account. And the danger in only seeing my money and my possessions as "mine" is that I become less willing to share those things, less willing to be generous or to give. But God has always had an expectation for His people to...

We live in a culture that often seems to encourage people to have a "me-first" mentality. We are encouraged to look out for ourselves and make sure our own needs are being met before we worry about anyone else. This is not a new concept however; people in Jesus' day seemed to have a similar focus. What was Jesus' response? "If you want to be first, you have to be last."...

This is the time of year that many of us are reminded of all the different ways God has blessed us. But God’s expectation in sharing these blessings is not just for us to enjoy them ourselves but to use those gifts to benefit others. This month at Flagstone we’re going to spend time together thanking God for all He’s done and also discovering ways we can pour the blessings He has given us into the...

Shame is a harsh slavemaster. Shame wraps itself around our minds and our hearts and convinces us that, not only are we bad people who don't deserve acceptance or who don't measure up, but also that we can't ever be set free from it. We become convinced that this feeling of self-doubt and unworthiness is just going to be part of our lives from now on. But Jesus came to set us free from...

Shame is such a powerful emotion. It goes beyond just a sense of guilt or remorse for past mistakes. Shame leads me to believe, not just that I did something bad, but that I am a bad person. That kind of perspective can be devastating to my sense of self-worth. But Jesus came into our world to conquer the things that keep us separated from God, including our shame. So how do I recognize if shame i...

The pursuit of happiness is one of the "rights" outlined in the Declaration of Independence. It's a concept that permeates our culture even today - pursue happiness...search for and find what makes you happy. But is being happy truly the goal in life? Is that what God wants for me? To just make sure that I'm happy? Scripture seems to indicate that God calls us to choose something...

The Bible consistently calls God's people to experience joy. Over and over different authors in scripture talk about rejoicing and celebrating God's blessings and God's presence...and that's a good thing! But sometimes I don't feel very joyful. There are days when I'm hurting or I'm tired or I've lost something or someone that meant a lot to me - there are days when...

There are seemingly countless phobias that affect millions of people worldwide. There are constantly fear and anxiety-inducing situations many of us deal with on a regular basis. Then we read scriptures that say "do not fear" and "don't be afraid," and we feel guilty because we actually are afraid. So is it wrong to feel anxious? Is it wrong to feel fear? And what do I do w...

Recent surveys indicate that a majority of Americans believe the country is angrier now than a generation ago. We seem to allow our angry feelings to influence our words and our actions than maybe people in our culture used to. But anger is just a natural emotion, isn't it? Don't I have the right to get angry about things that really bother me? While most of our feelings are natural respon...

Studies have shown how important it is for human beings to have a sense of belonging, to have a community that they feel like they're a part of. This makes sense because from the very beginning, God designed us for relationships. We're supposed to have connections with others; we're supposed to have a sense of community with each other, especially those of us who are followers of Jesus...

40% of Americans say they feel a deep sense of peace on at least a weekly basis. Yet the United States ranks in the top 5 of most stressed countries in the world. We seem to be a people who crave peace yet find difficulty in achieving it. But peace is something that scripture says Jesus came to give and something that God calls His followers to. So how do I find God's peace, and how do I get b...

"Holy" is one of those churchy-sounding words that gets tossed around a lot, especially in Christian circles. For many of us, when we call something "holy," we're saying that it holds special significance and meaning, most importantly to God. But is that it? Is that all that holiness is about? What if I had a deeper understanding of what it meant to be holy? Would that chan...

Many of us have experienced what it's like to not be picked. We didn't get picked when choosing teams on the playground; the person we wanted to date chose someone else; the promotion we were hoping for went to a co-worker. It can be confusing and even hurtful to not be chosen. The good news is God has chosen each one of us to experience His grace. He has chosen each one of us to have the...

Throughout scripture we see God calling certain people for certain purposes. He saw certain individuals where they were and chose them to accomplish particular tasks or share specific messages. This "calling" helped provide direction and purpose to the action being taken. But does God still do that today? Does God actually have a calling for me? And if so, what is it?

God doesn’t wait for polished people—He calls the bold, the broken, and the imperfect. Through the life of Peter, we’ll explore how raw, impulsive faith—when surrendered to Jesus—becomes the foundation of a powerful calling. This is a message for anyone who feels unqualified, overlooked, or uncertain about their purpose. God isn't looking for perfection. He's looking for your yes.

Multiple times in scripture we see Jesus' so-called enemies plotting to discredit Him, arrest Him, even have Him killed. It wasn't only Jesus who was having His life threatened though. One of His followers named Lazarus was a thorn in the side of Jesus' opponents as well - so much so that they plotted to take his life too. What can Lazarus' story teach me about sharing my faith sto...

Most of us like to feel like we're in control. We try to make sure things go the way we want them to, or we at least try to avoid things that may be difficult or hurtful. But then life happens - we experience hardship, frustration, disappointment. And when we can't fix it ourselves, we look to God to fix it for us. But we often want to dictate to Him what it is he does for us, even though...

Some before-and-after stories are positive and inspiring, and some are negative and heartbreaking. While some people experience changes in their lives that bring them more success or comfort or better relationships, other people experience changes that create disharmony and heartache, especially when they make hurtful and self-destructive choices. The story in scripture about a man named Demas is...