Stonybank Community Church with Pastor James Carroll

A reading from the Psalms and our opening prayer.

Eloise sharing a personal reference to this song which she then played and Joe Coletta sand in our morning service

Opening scripture

Receive One Another. Only One is God and you are not Him. Why then do we separate and argue over personal opinions?

Immortal Invisible God Only Wise

The reality of our eternal heavenly home.  We are not saved simply to escape earth but to live, enjoy, work, and experience a new earth as God originally intended.  

The church in the world is a hedge against evil and beacon of hope. Be careful of the sugar coated gospel that appeals to our human nature, makes people feel better about their self but does nothing to change their heart.  

All I know is, once I was blind but now I can see.  Jesus saves and all who call upon the Lord shall be saved.  So long as the Lord tarries there is room at the cross for you.

In todays beatitude, Jesus takes a passive noun and turns it into an action - peacemaker.  A unique and sometimes costly characteristic of Christians is to bring peace to an otherwise chaotic situation and forgiveness instead of vengeance.

Oct. 4, 2020 opening scripture and prayer

To see God is to know God.  Jesus and His word is the revelation of God.  To see Jesus and understand His word we must have a change of heart.  Pure includes the idea of purging out those things that distract us from seeing God in the circumstances of our life.

Mercy cannot be earned but given, which is the word "obtain."  God not giving to you what you deserve (mercy), in order to give you what you don't deserve (grace).  The cry of mercy is always answered with the grace of God.  And you will never go wrong by doing the gracious thing, which after all is a reflection of your own salvation.

This Righteousness referred to is simply to do right as in justice.  Blessed are they who’s deepest desires of life are the things that matter to God.  This beatitude is all about what you do to get what you want.  I can promise from experience and God's word, it gets sweeter as the days go by.

Jack Robinson

Meekness is not weakness but is power under control.  Give into the anger, resentment or even the sorrow and the circumstance will own you.  We must believe that God is, and that God is a rewarded of them who diligently seek Him.

9/13/20 - reading from Psalm 8 and leading in prayer to begin our service

The quickest way to blessing is when we weep together over the things that break the heart of God

scripture reading and prayer

If you desire a more blessed, happier, positive outlook on life our study in the beatitudes is for you.  How to position yourself for the blessing of God in this life is what the beatitudes are all about.  The beatitudes give us “the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:” Colossians 1:27  A little like "stop and smell the roses" this first b...

Leading in scripture reading and prayer on September 30, 2020

Getting at the heart of Christlikeness... believing the reward is worth it.  

A favorite scripture of his grandmother...

A message on the reality of an immediate heaven even as we await the new heaven and earth.  When I die: where will I go? 1Thessalonians 4; what will I see? Revelation 21; what will I do? Revelation 6

What a blessing to hear the report from our missionary among the least in Kenya.  His Bible Institute has reached thousands through training pastors in the slums.  

In closing his letter, James gives us four prayers in preparation for Jesus to come into the circumstance of our life.  Even so come Lord Jesus and 1) Relieve our Suffering, 2) Remedy our Sickness, 3) Restore our Society, and 4) Rescue our loved-ones who have Strayed away from the Lord.  Prayer is all about making the way for Jesus to come into the circumstance of my life.