Stonebrook Church, Ames, Iowa, Sermons

God’s people in the old covenant were given prophets, priests, and kings to serve them before their God. But now all three roles are fulfilled in the person of Jesus the Messiah, our all-sufficient Savior. Jesus as the King of kings will return to earth soon to establish his kingdom, and he will rule with absolute authority, power, justice, and righteousness. And he is to feared, obeyed, and loved...

Download sermon notes and discussion questions. Download sermon slide graphics. Intro: Advent It is the time of the year when we focus in on the arrival of Christ into the world; God’s greatest gift to mankind. We call this the “Advent Season,” the four weeks before Christmas time; a time to reflect on our condition before Christmas and what his arrival means for us. But what exactly was the inten...

God’s people in the old covenant were given prophets, priests, and kings to serve them before their God. But now all three roles are fulfilled in the person of Jesus the Messiah, our all-sufficient Savior. Jesus as the great Prophet not only speaks for God, he is the very Word of God on whom our lives depend, and he now calls on us to look to him and listen to him.

Where is Stonebrook headed? Our overarching theme for us this year is “Renewal.” We want to be renewed in our unity as God’s family, as well as walking in Christ with a renewed sense of faith and expectation in prayer that the Lord wants to work in and through us as a church family.

Although Christians do not participate in the covenant that God made with Israel, there is much we can learn from that covenant. God rescued Israel from cruel bondage in Egypt, cared for them in the wilderness, and gave them the ten commandments and many other personal and societal laws. His purpose was to develop and instill faith and obedience in their hearts. We also can turn our hearts toward...

In late September, we were in Raleigh, North Carolina, for my daughter’s wedding. The day before the wedding, my sister and brother-in-law were with us in the car, and we were leaving downtown Raleigh. They were in the back seat and volunteered to navigate us back to where we were staying. So they whip out their iPhones, and plug in our destination. Directions on iPhone said, “Go northeast,” but w...

In His covenant with Israel, God promised amazing blessings to the nation if they remained loyal and obedient to Him and horrific curses if they forsook Him and turned to other gods. Christians are not under Israel’s covenant, but are under the New Covenant—which also contains promises and warnings, but with significant differences. Yet, Christians, too, must love and honor God in order to be bles...

500 years ago, the protestant reformation brought the light of the truth of scripture back to a church that had lost its way in the medieval period. The recaptured tenets of the reformation: Salvation by grace through faith alone, personal participation in worship, and scripture as the final authority for faith and practice, are still relevant and essential for us today.

Download Study Notes Deuteronomy 12-26  Week 10 Love the Word of God If you’ve ever read the OT, you’ve come across some commands that you simply don’t know what to do with. Deuteronomy 14:21 ESV “You shall not boil a young goat in its mother’s milk.” What?  Why?  Has anyone here ever disobeyed this command?  No one?  Surely someone has sinned.  🙂 Deuteronomy 15:7 ESV “If among you, one of your b...

Israel was confronted with the truth of God and about God: would they consider who he is? Then they were called to respond to God and his will for them: would they follow him? They were at a crossroads, choosing between the glorious and the inglorious, good and bad, blessings and curses. Like Israel was, so we today are confronted with the truth of God and the calling of his will. Which will we ch...

Wrapping up the first section of his sermon to the new generation of Israelites, who are about to at last enter the promised land, Moses reminds the nation who they are: stubborn, rebellious, and undeserving, yet loved, chosen, and cherished nation. He exhorts them to never forget this fact, as they are about to enter the promised land. He reminds us today to keep in view who we are without him: s...

As Israel is at the doorway of entering the promised land, God pauses to give them the key to enjoying those blessings.  He reveals that for the last 40 years he has been teaching them the all important lesson that life comes from listening to Him.  The material world alone cannot bring us life and if we begin to think that it does even the good things that God longs to gives us will become a curs...

Israel was commanded by God to drive the Canaanites out of the land and completely destroy those who remain. Although appalling to modern sensibilities, this command can be harmonized with the Bible’s portrayal of a God of perfect love and justice. God has a duty to judge the world and sometimes judges people and nations in the course of history, not always waiting until the final judgment day. We...

The statement of Deuteronomy 6:4 is profoundly simply yet magnificently grand, laying out before the people of Israel the most foundational statement of faith. The people were to reject all the so-called gods of the nations and instead look to the one, true, incomparable, mighty God. From this center point of faith in him spring forth all commands and promises. If one verse can summarize the essen...

Along with thunder, lighting, earthquake, fire and smoke, the voice of God boomed out the Ten Commandments from the mountain as over three million Israelites trembled in fear. These commandments are the center of God’s covenant with Israel and a clear call to love God and our neighbor. They show us practically what love looks like. Although we are under a different covenant, nine of the ten comman...

As God’s covenant people, Israel was called to “listen and live,” for the Lord wanted to bring them good, not evil. To walk in that goodness, Israel was charged to watch diligently over their souls, not forgetting the great deeds of the Lord, and to remain true to him. Over the next 1000 years of Old Testament history, Israel largely failed at this. While such stubbornness may surprise us, we will...

In the opening chapters of Deuteronomy, Moses begins his sermon to Israel by reminding them of where they came from. Highlighting a few episodes from the 40-year exodus journey, Moses points out how, in spite of Israel’s fear, stubbornness, and rebellion, God led them victoriously to the land He promised to give them, while simultaneously dealing with their disobedience. God’s faithfulness, justic...

In the opening chapters of Deuteronomy, Moses begins his sermon to Israel by reminding them of where they came from. Highlighting a few episodes from the 40-year exodus journey, Moses points out how, in spite of Israel’s fear, stubbornness, and rebellion, God led them victoriously to the land He promised to give them, while simultaneously dealing with their disobedience. God’s faithfulness, justic...

In Deuteronomy, Israel was a crossroads, being called by God to choose life over death and wholeheartedly keep the covenant of God. So Moses exhorts them throughout this book to choose life and reject their past rebellion. Now even today we will find ourselves at a crossroads, where God is calling us to choose life, the life found in Jesus, the Messiah of Israel and the world.

Even in his highly exhortative book, James appeals to the truths of the gospel of Christ. When we authentically engage with the whole gospel–what God has done, is doing, and will do in Christ–our lives will be transformed.

James points us to the Second Coming of Jesus Christ as our source of hope in suffering. And he points us to prayer, that whether we are suffering, cheerful, or sick, our prayers have a powerful effect because God powerfully answers our prayers.

James exhorts us in three diverse topics. The first is to reject a judgmental, harsh spirit towards our fellow believers, for the Lord is the Judge of all. The second is that in all of our future plans and dreams, we must not be arrogant but realize how brief and frail our lives are, and instead say, “If the Lord wills, I will do this or that.” And third, we are warned by some strong words to weal...

In James 3:1-4:10 – James convicts our hearts of three fundamental problems that exist in the human soul which require transformation to escape. He offers three wonderful gospel promises for those who are willing to admit their need.

In James chapter two, we find that we become right with God by faith, but only by a faith that results in action – in loving God and others.

We’re embarking on a new sermon series diving into the book of James. Check out the introductory message delivered by Pastor Brad.