Shelbyville Community Church

A legal expert in Jewish law was trying to test Jesus' theology and asked Him what he need to do to inherit eternal life. Jesus asked him back, "What do you think the scripture says about that?" The Pharisee quoted the very essential passage from Deuteronomy 6:4-5, called The Shema, when he said, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with...

It's easy to get busy and lose sight of the party. Have you ever held a large gathering, that included food? There’s a lot that goes into the preparation, to make sure there is enough and that the gathering goes well. To prepare for such a gathering, we need to require a count. This allows us to know the appropriate number and prepare the right amount of food and spaces. I had to do this for...

With all of the views on what happens after you die, is there someone’s opinion we can trust? What about someone who has actually risen from the dead? What about someone who has actually conquered death?

In Matthew 18, Jesus tells us a story about the Kingdom of God and forgiveness. The reason Jesus tells this story is simple: Life is filled with opportunity to take offense. Actually, that’s only part of the reason. Jesus also tells this story in response to a question from Peter about the limits of forgiveness. Here is how he asked it: “Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times sh...

Heart disease is among the greatest killers in the United States. We are often urged by medical professionals to get our hearts checked with the hope that test could literally save our lives. While we are aware of the importance of taking care of our physical hearts, the Bible tells us our hearts play a vital spiritual role in our lives. “Above all else, guard your heart, because everything you do...

In Matthew 24:3, the disciples ask Jesus a question: “What will the end of the world be like?” And Jesus answers their question by telling three stories in a row. First, He tells the Parable of the 10 Virgins. The primary point of this parable is: “Be ready, be prepared, don’t miss the party.” Then Jesus tells the Parable of the Talents. This story would seem to say, “Don’t waste your life!” Final...

Baptism is a picture of a new life! This weekend we have the amazing opportunity to celebrate what God is doing here at SCC through the ancient practice of baptism. We’re used to thinking that baptism day is about us or the other people who made their declaration of faith alongside of us, but nothing could be further from the truth. Baptism is a celebration and picture of Christ’s loving work of s...

Once upon a time in Silicon Valley there lived a very important and educated man. He routinely worked twelve to fourteen-hour days. Even when he wasn’t at work, he found himself thinking of work so that it was not only his occupation, but his preoccupation as well. He was vaguely aware that his kids were growing up and he was missing it. But he also reasoned that he was working for them and their...

That's not fair! These three words make up a phrase that every person has said at some point in their life. Spend time with kids and give one kid a candy bar and the other kid a carrot. That's not fair! It points to our internal desire for justice. When we see something happen that doesn't seem just to us we make it known that it's not fair. This Sunday, we're going to loo...

How does a person gain and maintain good standing with God? In the parable of the Pharisee and Tax Collector, each of them chooses a different approach, both of which are still alive and well today. Some, like the Pharisee, try to gain and maintain that good standing with God out of their own sense of self-righteousness. They choose the way of self. Others, like the Tax Collector, take the way of...

In our geographical area here in south Central Indiana, it’s almost planting time. We are used to seeing the corn and soybeans growing in the summer, but did you miss the week that the seeds were planted into the soil? Without the seeds being planted, there would be no fields of crops growing later in the season. Unless the soil in the field is prepared properly, the seeds won’t grow and produce t...

This Sunday we'll be teaching on the last of the three parables where Jesus taught about the joy of finding something or someone who is lost. The familiar parable of the Prodigal Son could most easily be called, "The Incredible Love of a Father." The parable begins with Jesus' words, "A man had two sons." Our study this weekend has so many applications for our lives,...

Self-help books that promise life transformation are everywhere. An article in the New York Times that is now over 10 years old reported that “the self-help movement has mushroomed into an 11 billion dollar industry devoted to telling us how to improve our lives.” The article reported that in 2013, there were over 45,000 self-help books in print. That number would probably be much larger today. Th...

When Jesus wanted to illustrate a powerful spiritual truth, He told stories. In fact, about a third of his Words are stories or parables. There are about 40 of them in the gospels. The idea of a parable is that Jesus would take an occurrence from everyday life, something people saw every day, and throw that story alongside a truth about the Kingdom of God. In fact, the word parable means “to throw...

This Sunday we're wrapping up our study in the book of Ruth. This short little story has a lot to say about finding hope in hard times. Because death, devastation, and destruction is how the book begins. But Joy, celebration, and new life is how the book of Ruth finishes. This is the gospel! That life comes after death. Everything we experience in life, both in joy and in pain, is meant to dr...

You can’t live a day without hope. Hope is why people get married and have children. Hope is why parents send their children off to school every day. Hope is why people buy ab machines and gym memberships. But what if hope isn’t just about our circumstances? What if hope is meant to spring from who we are in Christ? In the book of Ruth, we observe her go through a transformation in her identity. S...

Relationships can be fragile. We all long for them, but we also all know what it is like to be hurt by them. Over time, we come to learn that all relationships must be governed by certain principles if they are to be successful. When it comes to relationships, the Word of God is the gold standard. The principles found there bring life to all our relationships, and remind us that there is no relati...

We are so careful what we put into the things that matter to us. If you’re a guy and you like muscle cars, you would never think of filling yours up with inferior or low octane gas. If you’re an athlete and training for a marathon, you would never do that while living on a diet of twinkies. We understand very well that the fuel we put into our bodies contributes to their overall well-being and per...

We’re used to thinking that baptism day is about us or the other people who made their declaration of faith alongside of us, but nothing could be further from the truth. Baptism is a celebration and picture of Christ’s loving work of salvation on the cross. It points us to His grace and power in our lives. For this reason, baptism is a reminder to keep our spiritual appetites sharp. It reminds us...

Have you ever wondered why God allows some people to become super wealthy and others with similar character qualities struggle to keep their economic “heads above water?” Naomi and her daughter-in-law were definitely the latter, and another character in our passage tomorrow was definitely the former. God chooses to allow both conditions and works in us and through us in both conditions. Do you thi...

Pastor Daniel Stahl teaches on the Tabernacle of David in this week's sermon.

The book of Ruth is unlike any other book in the Bible. There is nothing overtly supernatural or miraculous in its pages. There are no big fish or burning bushes. There are no dreams, no healings, no revelations. There are no explicit, overt interventions from God. There are no dramatic answers to prayer. What you find there is a group of people who are trying to get by and survive. You find a gro...

“May I put it quite simply? If you understand these two words—‘but God’—they will save your soul. If you recall them daily and live by them, they will transform your life completely.” - James Montgomery Boice It is no surprise, then, that the human authors of the Bible use this phrase repeatedly to highlight God’s grace in every aspect of salvation. From Moses to Paul and just about everywhere in...

You were made for worship. It is who you are. Worship is part of your DNA and one of the primary motivations of your life. Every single one of us worships someone or something, even if you don’t consider yourself religious or spiritual. Worship happens anytime we take a good thing God has given us and make it the ultimate thing. It could be a relationship, romance, sex, money, power, control, a ch...

When it comes to the Christmas story, the rhythm of being in the Word is powerful. So powerful, that today’s statistics show us the “Power of 4.” The Power of 4 comes down to how many times we are in our Bible and how that impacts our life. When we are in the Bible 4 to 7 days a week, we’ll see huge changes in our lives. The Power of 4 is even shown to be more impactful, on a person today, than at...