Stonebrook Church, Ames, Iowa, Sermons

The wise King Solomon, having understood and experienced many things, and blessed by God with great wisdom, makes a simple observation that we can all resonate with: “A deferred hope makes the heart sick.” – In our passage this week, we will watch a faithful Israelite couple have two of their deepest, deferred hopes suddenly fulfilled. Their reaction can give us great insight about ourselves, and...

For us today, we say, “Jesus the Messiah has already come.” But for centuries prior to that history-making day, the people were in high anticipation. This Sunday three of our pastors will have a panel discussion examining many of the remarkable Old Testament prophecies of the advent– the coming– of Jesus.

Religion in general is often viewed as a system or a set of rules or teachings. But Christianity is unique because Jesus Christ is unique, and he calls us to a person, that is, himself. He calls us to “come after” him. The implications are life altering. We’ll examine what Jesus means by that and its impact on us.

In this week’s passage we see Jesus continuing to reveal his power over his spiritual enemies and bringing restoration to a world that is broken and bruised by sin and death — and he does so in dramatic fashion, feeding thousands of people with a mere five loaves and two fish. If we look closely, we will see a calling to Christ’s disciples that echoes forward to us today.

Though overwhelming sin and circumstances can lead to an understandable fear and despair, Jesus Christ proves that trusting in him is far more reasonable. He gently and firmly calls us to such a faith.

Facing increasing rejection and opposition from the religious leaders of the day, Jesus begins “hiding” his teachings in parables, so that only those who really desire to follow and learn from Jesus are able to know his meaning. This week we will focus on the parable of the sower – or, better, the parable of the soils. The parable asks us to examine our attitude toward Jesus – are we believing? co...

In a remarkable story in Luke’s Gospel, Jesus powerfully contrasts a self-righteous Pharisee with a sinful woman. The man looks with disdain on her, while she reveals a deep love for Jesus that springs out of the forgiveness he has granted. What can we learn from her? She models to us humility and faith that discovers the riches of God’s grace and results in a deeper love for Jesus.

While in prison, John the Baptist hears reports of Jesus’s ministry. Many things line up with his expectation of the Messiah, but many things do not. He sends his followers to ask Jesus directly “are you indeed the Messiah, or are we waiting for someone else?” Jesus’s unusual response inspires trust in God for those who believe and repent, but for those who are righteous in their own mind, no resp...

In our passage this week, we will see Jesus in action once again, this time in two remarkable stories, one of healing a dying man, and the other raising a dead man to life. We must ask, who is this Jesus? Who else speaks and acts with such authority that is combined with tender compassion? The answer: there is no one like him, no one else who is worthy of our trust and admiration.

SERMON POWERPOINT Sunday, September 19, 2021  Brad Barrett Luke 5:27-6:11  The Physician of our Souls Series: Luke Sermon:  The Physician of our Souls  Luke 5:27-6:11 Verse:  Luke 5:32 ESV  I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.” Description:  If someone is familiar with the Bible and you want to stab them in their heart, there is one word that will do it:  Call them a Ph...

In this week’s passage, we are introduced to four sets of people: the first disciples, a leper, a paralytic and his friends, and the pharisees. Through his interactions with these four very diverse people, Jesus shows us that he has the power, willingness, and authority to heal and forgive sin for anyone who comes to him in faith.

We all long for a world where chaos, brokenness, and death are no more. 2000 years ago someone came to earth declaring such a world, actually a new kingdom. Jesus of Nazareth came revealing an other-worldly power and authority—the kingdom of God—to restore all that is broken in us and in our world. This Sunday we will see Jesus and worship him as the King who has come and is coming again soon to r...

In this week’s passage, Jesus proclaims that the long awaited “year of the Lord’s favor”, is here! In his very brief sermon he tells his hometown, the people he grew up with, that he is, in fact, the Messiah. In two strange analogies to Old Testament stories, he tells them the surprising nature of his ministry: God’s grace is free, is open to the gentiles, and we should receive it as humbly as a w...

In this week’s passage, we will Jesus, the descendant of King David, and of all our “father” Adam, and also, most importantly, the Son of God, face temptation from our adversary, the devil himself. We will be encouraged as Jesus faces temptation, just as Adam did, and just as we do: as a human. Using the same resources we have available to us, the leading and empowering of the Holy Spirit, and rel...

After more than 400 years of silence from God and enduring much political and moral upheaval, Israel was presented with an extraordinary moment. God sent a prophet named John (a.k.a., the Baptist) whose message was one of repentance, baptism, and forgiveness to turn hearts toward God in preparation for a coming Savior who would change the world. This Sunday we will look at God’s remarkable faithfu...

This Sunday we begin a new sermon series diving into the great story of the Savior of the world, the Gospel of Jesus Christ, written by a man named Luke. The author’s purpose for writing is clear: he wants the reader to have greater certainty of what he has heard about Jesus. Whether you are a member of Stonebrook or simply seeking to understand who Jesus really is, we will read Luke’s Gospel to k...

First I’ll set the stage, the context of the letter. The Apostle Paul had an interesting problem on his hands.  He had spent three years with the church he started in Ephesus, living with them and instructing them night and day, imparting to them the whole counsel of God.   After this he wrote them a definitive letter reminding them of The Gospel and instructing them in how they were to conduct th...

Who among us has never uttered words that we deeply regret, some unhelpful, some destructive? This Sunday we will look at the wisdom of God regarding our words, what we say and what we type. By the grace of God through his Son we can learn to “tame our tongue” to bring good, not harm, to build up, not tear down.

God-Honoring Authority Article (1) If you’re like me, you’re amazed by the polarization in society. (2) The social media mobbing. The cancel culture. The wild conspiracy theories that many people are actually believing. And this polarization is nowhere more intense than in politics. (3)It seems like the rhetoric on both sides is so extreme, whether it’s over systemic racism, critical race theory,...