Stonebrook Church, Ames, Iowa, Sermons

Believers in Christ may experience suffering for their faith in him. And when this happens, they may be tempted to quit because of the seeming injustice of it all. In our passage today, Paul speaks of God’s justice toward the Christian and the persecutor. Though none of us at Stonebrook may be suffering for Jesus’ sake to the extent of this Thessalonian church, we too can be strengthened in faith...

This past Tuesday morning, after I had spent several days preparing to handle  the tricky subjects of the fire, eternal damnation, and tribulation described in 2 Thessalonians 1, the elders decided we needed tackle something actually controversial today: Racial harmony and social justice.  In case you’ve been hiding in a cave somewhere for the past few months, recently George Floyd’s murder at the...

The Christian life is described as a race. And as anyone who has seen God’s call for how we ought to run it we know that it can seem long and hard. The apostle Paul tells us in 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11 that we cannot run well or finish strong if we lose sight of the finish line and the prize.

When Jesus returns, the dead will rise and believers left alive will be changed. Because we know this, we should not grieve when fellow-believers die, for that glorious day awaits us all. We should be encouraged by these truths. 

What is God’s will for my life? This question is frequently asked by Christ’s followers. In our passage today, Paul addresses this question broadly with some specific answers that center on a life that pleases God.

Our passage for today was written at a time when the apostle Paul, the spiritual father of the church, was kept from seeing the people in the church, kept from meeting with them and knowing how they were. And it opens with these words, which seem particularly apt for this day. Week 10 of being unable to meet together as a large group and our passage begins with: “…when we could bear it no longer…”...

In one of the most uplifting letters in the New Testament, Paul is overjoyed at the faith of this young church in the midst of suffering. We who follow Christ can share in a similar joy as we walk by faith and help others do the same. When Christ comes again, those whom we have helped will be our glory and our joy!

We all know the importance of being an example, not a hypocrite, to others—someone whose words and actions generally line up. And this becomes a noticeable and powerful influence to everyone who sees. The New Testament letter, First Thessalonians, tells us the story of Christians who believed the gospel, lived it in powerful ways, then spoke of it. What is our story?

Core virtues of the Christian life are the well-loved triad of faith, love, and hope. The Apostle Paul was concerned for the health of the very young Thessalonian church in the face of persecution. But he discovered they remained on a solid foundation with a genuine faith that led to action, an exemplary love that prompted service, and a sure hope that resulted in endurance. In our daily trials, i...

This Easter Sunday we will take a look at Luke 24 and see how the resurrection of Jesus can give us hope, courage, and strengthened faith even as we are couped up at home in a time where we may be asking ‘Where is God in all this?

Over many years, the apostle Paul and the Corinthians had experienced a rocky relationship. In today’s passage we see some of the elements of how that relationship was restored, primarily through loving reproof and wholehearted repentance. We will look at what genuine repentance looks like and how it has power to resolve relational conflict.

Christ followers are called to walk in pure devotion to the Lord in our faith and actions. God’s appeal to us for this way of living, as shown in the Apostle Paul’s heart, is through his loving, fatherly relationship with us, his children in Christ.

As a minister of the New Covenant, Paul gave his heart and life to the proclamation of the good news about Jesus. He demonstrated his authenticity by his perseverance through great affliction and through his sacrificial, loving, and Spirit-filled actions. As we look at Paul’s life we can have confidence that Jesus really did appear to him, radically transforming his life. And, along with Paul, we...

As a minister of the New Covenant, Paul gave his heart and life to the proclamation of the good news about Jesus. He demonstrated his authenticity by his perseverance through great affliction and through his sacrificial, loving, and Spirit-filled actions. As we look at Paul’s life we can have confidence that Jesus really did appear to him, radically transforming his life. And, along with Paul, we...

When we become a Christian, God gives us a task: “the ministry of reconciliation.” Not only does he reconcile us to himself, but he makes us into coworkers with him in his plan to reconcile his people to himself from all over the world. This week we will discuss a core component of our new relationship with God through Christ: becoming ambassadors for the most high God to a lost world.

We will be spending the next two weeks (Lord willing) on the last part of chapter 5. In it we find a glorious two-part truth: God has reconciled us to himself, and we have been given a ministry of reconciliation. This first week we will be focusing on what God did, how he did it, and why he did it. Come be encouraged in the glorious truth of the core Gospel message!

Eternity. As Christians we believe in “forever,” not just as cute words in a love song, but as our future reality in the kingdom of God. The challenge we face is, do we live every day like “forever” is true? Is it on our minds? Do we see people in light of eternity? The Apostle Paul had deep, deep convictions about such things, and these convictions motivated him in his ministry for Jesus Christ....

A walk of faith is a life that is truly convinced of certain things about God and eternity. Such a confidence transforms us, strengthening us from the inside out and changing our perspectives on life here on earth and beyond. While Paul’s role as an apostle has some differences from our roles in the church, the principles remain unchanged. Paul fully intends that what he believes with all his hear...

When God made a covenant with Israel, He revealed Himself so clearly and gloriously to Moses that the skin on his face shone. The Israelites were afraid, so Moses covered his face with a veil. Fifteen hundred years later, Jesus inaugurated a new covenant with even more glory. As we fix our gaze on Jesus, we will be transformed into the image of God, boldly living and speaking and reflecting His gl...

Christians can have confidence for this ministry when they realize that God’s Word is sufficient for accomplishing the task, and so speak it with sincerity and boldness.

The message of the gospel of Christ is perplexing: God offers life forever and ever through his Son, yet mankind reacts against it so commonly and strongly. How could this be? Our Lord Jesus, the Apostle Paul, and millions of Christians since then have contended with this gospel, a message that smells good to some but stinks to others. Similarly, this is our assignment from God, to spread this fra...

God gives each of us life and health. Although sickness and death are inevitable for all people, including Christians, we should do what we can to stay healthy and productive for His purposes. Yet there are so many different and often contradictory perspectives on diet, exercise, sleep, and whether traditional or alternative medicine is best. What does the Bible say about health? How much should w...