Stonebrook Church, Ames, Iowa, Sermons

Introduction Suffering. Who wants it? Who likes it? When faced with suffering, our normal human response is to escape it. Whatever it takes to get out of pain, we will do. That’s normal, and even an appropriate response, because pain is…well….pain. It hurts. We would advise ourselves and other sufferers to do whatever it takes to escape from the pain. Today we are finishing a series on a letter the Apostle Peter wrote to churches in Asia Minor, modern-day […]

Introduction There are many apocalyptic movies that have come out in the last few decades, and even in the last few years. Interstellar. The Maze Runner. Oblivion. Planet of the Apes. And lots of ZOMBIE movies With some variation, such movies point to the destruction of the world. The end of life as we know it. We are fascinated by the END of TIME. And I am fascinated by our fascination. Why are we so interested in the end […]

Introduction How is marriage doing today? In general, how do you think the institution of marriage is doing in our society today? I suspect the vast majority of you, even the most optimistic, would say that marriage in general and many or most marriages specifically are not doing well. I would say that it goes badly with marriage today. Why? Well, that is a long conversation. Multi-faceted. A significant reason for that is because we’ve lost sight of God. And we’ve neglected his […]

Why Should We Obey God’s Commands? Have you ever wondered why we should obey God’s commands? “Well that’s a silly question, Matt! God is God, therefore we should obey Him!”  Yes, yes, of course. But really though, have you wondered why? Christians believe that we are not saved by what we do. Rather we are saved by faith in the free grace of God, through the work of His son Jesus, alone. We do not add to this by anything […]

Introduction   How many of you were annoying 5-year olds who constantly asked, “Why?” This teaching is for you. How many of you took a class in school— maybe Physics or Math—and you said, “I don’t really want to understand the theory and how it all works. I just want to figure out the answers on the test and move on.”  This teaching is also for you. Some of us approach the Scriptures with a thirst to know everything. […]

Introduction Today and over the next 8 weeks, we will be studying the book of 1 Peter. It’s a book that talks a lot about suffering. The word “suffer” is used 11 times. Today Christians who are suffering are in the news. This is the the 14th letter of the Arabic alphabet, a noon. It’s the equivalent to the Roman letter N. The ن stands for Nasara or Nazarenes, a pejorative Arabic word for Christians. As the Islamic State […]

Introduction This man in the photo is Denethor from Lord of the Rings. What was his title? Steward of Gondor. Steward. What is a steward? He is a manager of someone’s property. In Denethor’s case, the King of Gondor was absent, so he was charged with leading the people of Gondor. As Steward, he was to lead, guide, and protect until when?? Until the King returned.  We are stewards like Denethor. We are stewards. Managers. Who is the OWNER? The King, the Lord God. Psalm […]

Don’t you love to watch people who are good at what they do? It doesn’t matter what it is, when you come across someone who is great at what they do, it is awe inspiring. It’s fun to watch. I’d like to show you a news clip that features my father-in-law. George used to tell the story of how he made a bet with someone. This fellow was skeptical that he could do what you just saw him do. George […]

Introduction The Gospel of Jesus Christ is the most beautiful, life-giving message in the world. Through the suffering and resurrection of Christ 2000 years ago, eternal life is now available to everyone who calls on his name. But in spite of this beauty and love and glory found in Christ, that same message provokes hatred and animosity. And since the Apostles, believers throughout history have been willing to proclaim Jesus and suffer for it. And they have suffered. Hebrews 13:3 ESV “Remember […]

INTRODUCTION What is God like?  How involved is he in our lives and in this world? Does he have a “hands-off” attitude towards this world? “I made this world, but now you’re on your own unless things get really bad.” We could call this Deism. God might be interested in the happenings of this world, but he doesn’t really intervene. Deism is impossible to find in the Bible. In fact, the coming of God’s Son into the world crushes arguments of Deism. The […]