Stonebrook Church, Ames, Iowa, Sermons

Whether we are seekers or even skeptics, or we have been believers in Jesus Christ for many years, this Gospel can impact us. Throughout this book, we are confronted with the reality and uniqueness of Jesus, and we are called on to look to him for the answers to life. For Christianity is far more than another religion with good rules for living. Fundamentally, it is about a person, and his name is...

Whether we are seekers or even skeptics, or we have been believers in Jesus Christ for many years, this Gospel can impact us. Throughout this book, we are confronted with the reality and uniqueness of Jesus, and we are called on to look to him for the answers to life. For Christianity is far more than another religion with good rules for living. Fundamentally, it is about a person, and his name is...

Since the very beginning of creation, mankind has been under the attack of lies about God, and false teaching about the truth. Far from improving over time, false teaching accumulates over the years, and our culture is soaked in it. Many popular books, radio programs, songs, TV shows, and even movies that claim to be “Christian” contain old lies that the church has labeled as “heresy” for hundreds...

The Scripture defines only a handful of male-female relationships. Parent-Child, Siblings, and spouses. We in the church are told to treat each other as family, along these lines. What does the transition from sibling to spouse look like? The world sends us many messages regarding dating, marriage, and sexuality, are any of them useful to us? What does dating look like for christians? Join us as w...

God wants children for his kingdom– people who are saved by him, born again, and adopted into his eternal family. And every woman–married or not, young or old– can be God’s agent to influence the next generation.

In our day, fewer people are getting married and those who do still have close to a 50% divorce rate. Is it possible for a marriage to not just survive but actually thrive? What are the principles and practices that make for a healthy, growing, and fulfilling marriage? Today, Dave Bovenmyer will give three practices, gained from He and Dawn’s experience in 43 years of marriage, that can help any m...

In our day, fewer people are getting married and those who do still have close to a 50% divorce rate. Is it possible for a marriage to not just survive but actually thrive? What are the principles and practices that make for a healthy, growing, and fulfilling marriage? Today, Dave Bovenmyer will give three practices, gained from He and Dawn’s experience in 43 years of marriage, that can help any m...

(Download this manuscript and discussion questions (PDF format, Word format) Today we are going to talk about forgiveness. Probably one of the most central concepts to the entire Christian faith. The very core of the message of Christianity is a restored relationship between the creator God and the capstone of his creation: mankind. The key to that restored relationship, restored fellowship, is th...

Conflict in relationships seems unavoidable, but we don’t have to stay there. God offers wisdom and power to be peacemakers, which can include lovingly and gently confronting others for their sin, with the goal of restoring the relationship.

Conflict in relationships seems to come easy, but peace takes more effort through the power of God. Peace begins by humbly looking within our own hearts for our contribution to the conflict.

Finding conflict comes easy and is rooted in selfish desires. Making peace takes the grace of God and is rooted in a desire to glorify God and bring good to others. Blessing comes to those who strive for peace, for Jesus said, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.”

Who was Jesus? News magazines and TV documentaries regularly publish trendy theories of who Jesus really was. Invariably, the theories reflect their authors’ own modern philosophies rather than a realistic portrayal of Jesus as He was known in His own first-century, very-Jewish world. Today we will look at Jesus from a unique perspective, that of the Hebrew prophets who wrote about Him 700 to 1,00...

Baptism is one of the most important events and concepts in the Christian faith. Christians have understood baptism in several different ways throughout the centuries. At Stonebrook, we practice “believer’s baptism” as an expression and testimony of our new birth through faith in Christ. It is a command from Jesus, to be done by all who believe, as soon as possible after they believe. We will disc...

Paul’s great passion was to live as a citizen of heaven in a manner that was worthy of the gospel, and he sought to live that way in every part of his life. His heart of contentment, joy, and unselfishness even in times of great need show us the heart of Christ.

No matter how difficult life becomes, those of us who believe in Jesus can find exultant joy and unfathomable peace as we bring our fears, desires and passions to the Lord in prayer and as we remember who Jesus is and what He has done, is doing, will do.

What is your idea of “The Good Life”?  What way of life, or standard of living are you working toward? What end result are you running after? What is your goal? Another way of asking it: what would be the most disappointing thing that you could face? What thing are you trying to gain, or hold on to right now, that if you missed it, or it was taken away from you, would ruin your life. Would crush y...

We humans love to make classes of people: economic, ethnic, intellectual, and social classes. Such classes attempt to make us better or worse than others, depending where we land. The Apostle Paul makes it clear that the way to God is not by any such heritage, accomplishment, or classification, but only by Christ. The pursuit of knowing Christ and living for him was Paul’s great passion. Rather th...

Do all things without grumbling or disputing, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast to the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain.

We often enjoy hearing the message, “You deserve this good thing.” Politicians and advertising specialists trumpet this message. However, God’s Scriptures and the gospel message take us in another direction. Through God’s mercy and grace to us in the gospel of Christ, the question we must answer is, “What does God deserve? What is he worthy of?” In our passage today, the Apostle Paul reveals the s...

Think of a time when you were filled with joy. Cheerful. Happy. Deep down inside. I’m guessing it was a very exciting occasion. The day the Lord saved you. Graduation. A new job. Wedding day. Baby born. Your sports team won a championship. Did any of you think of your joy during a time of suffering? If you read in Acts 16, you can read the very beginning of a new church in a Roman city called Phil...

In his letter to the Christians in Philippi, Paul thanks them for their partnership with him in the work of preaching God’s word, and exhorts them to continue their faithful walk in following Christ, as citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven, who live a remarkably different life from the rest of the world. In this first section, Paul greets and encourages the church and prays they would be full of love...

We can have a love-hate relationship with money. Sometimes we love and long for more of it, but at other times we hate the stresses and worry that seems to accompany the subject. The Lord has direction for us with money so that it doesn’t steal our hearts from him and so that we can have lasting fruit in heaven because of our godly handling of it.

We know of one fundraiser in the New Testament; the apostle Paul took it upon himself to raise money for poor Christians in Jerusalem. He was led by the Lord to rally Christians and churches to give and was so successful that some gave generously out of extreme poverty.  We can learn a lot from Paul’s wise appeals that can help purify our motives and give us direction as we raise funds for Stonebr...

We know of one fundraiser in the New Testament; the apostle Paul took it upon himself to raise money for poor Christians in Jerusalem. He was led by the Lord to rally Christians and churches to give and was so successful that some gave generously out of extreme poverty.  We can learn a lot from Paul’s wise appeals that can help purify our motives and give us direction as we raise funds for Stonebr...

God is the Owner of all and the Provider for all, and he is the foundation for our true perspectives on money and possessions, i.e., Mammon. If we lose sight of this, not only will live in anxiety and error, we will miss out on real treasures—heavenly ones. Jesus is clear on what our heavenly orientation to God and Mammon is.