STANDING STONE BIBLE

WEEKLY

November 11, 2024

A Point from pastor

Today is Veterans Day. It is the "day set aside to thank and honor ALL those who served honorably in the military – in wartime or peacetime. In fact, Veterans Day is largely intended to thank LIVING veterans for their service, to acknowledge that their contributions to our national security are appreciated, and to underscore the fact that all those who served – not only those who died – have sacrificed and done their duty."¹

We have several vets that call SSB home - if you are one reading this: THANK YOU!!! I (PKW) note that even this last week, as I voted for our representative government, it is a great privilege that many in this world do not have. Your service and sacrifice (no matter how minor you might think it is) has helped to keep our continued liberty. So, again, thank you.

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We will have an infant dedication on Sunday morning (17th). Look around your house. If you find you have a newborn or young child and would like to dedicate them to the Lord, let PKW know. Thanks.

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"Pure Gospel" is a fairly new Wednesday night offering. If you are not otherwise engaged on a Wednesday night (oh, please do not be at home keeping your couch secure and the TV watched) - join us for Pure Gospel. Wednesday nights, at 7pm, we have various speakers sharing a presentation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We are typically done around 7:40. This is a great opportunity for you to be encouraged again by the significance of the gospel (remember, it is "the power of God for salvation" - who doesn't need reminded of that?). It is also an opportunity to BRING someone that needs to hear the Good News.

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Al McElheran and Elijah W returned from Honduras yesterday. They ministered to over 860 people. At least two that we know of responded to the gospel for salvation (Yes!!!).

Some of you may recall that when Al was here, he spoke of his return to Nigeria. He grew up there when his dad was a missionary. One interesting comment on Nigeria: 90% of all Christians killed in the world are in Nigeria. Al shared with us the great news that they have 1,000 men and women trained and ready to be sent as missionaries. They just lack funds. What is amazing is the price tag to send just one is $600... ANNUALLY! I suggested we might have a few folks interested in sending a missionary outright. He has given me the following information:

To support one of these Nigerian missionaries, send your $600.00 check to: Mr. Tony Rondinella, Box 5310, Glendale, CA 91201. Make your check out to Global Teaching Network and ear mark your check EMS Missionary support. They will choose your missionary and send you a tax receipt, bio of the missionary, tribe where he or she is from, and where they will be sent. You will not be able to be in contact the missionary at any time for security reasons. They do ask that you pray for your missionary every day.

^{1. U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. "Veterans Day Facts and Information." Accessed 11/11/2024. https://department.va.gov/veterans-day/facts-and-information/}

THIS WEEK

Here are the highlights of classes and events THIS week

Joyous Hearts (Veterans Day) - Wednesday morning is the monthly fellowship time for those 55 and older. This is at 10am and will be a special time of also honoring the Veterans. Join in for the fun, food, and friendship!

Meeting for Nom Com - Sunday night at 6pm is a business meeting to choose two members to sit on the 2025 Nominating Committee. The "Nom Com" is charged with developing a slate of elder candidates for our Annual Meeting in February.

Cantata Rehearsals - Yes, it is that time. Rehearsals for the Christmas cantata begin this Sunday, November 3 after church (11:20-12:30pm). The cantata will be Sunday, December 22nd during the 10am worship service.

upcoming events

Make note of the classes and events available in the near future

Four the Master - The Gospel quartet will minister Monday, November 18th (3:30 pm) at Brookstone Village in Millard and again on November 21st (6pm) at Trinity Village in Papillion.

SS Christmas Program - If you have a son or daughter in Sunday school at SSB, they should have a part in the annual Christmas Program. Please help them practice at home. The program will be Sunday, December 15th @ 6pm.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

- Psalm 23:6

Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good.

- Romans 12:9

So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.

- Galatians 6:10

the Lord's day

We honored our veterans with a video including a few of them. We do not take lightly the service and sacrifice of so many that have served to help keep our country the land of liberty.

We had the message in the middle - music at the end! Thus, we left the the service singing praise to the Rock, our Jesus - His love is strong and His Word is strong!

The message from Luke 16 was a look at judgment, death, and hell. It was sobering and scary. In Luke 16:19-31, we noted a warning, a help, and a hope. The warning for us is that death is coming and it will be here soon. It is sudden for all of us. Death is a prison for some. And, for those in hell, it will be a never-ending torment. We shared some of the descriptions of hell. It is bad! But God lovingly warns us of hell to tell us "don't go there!"

This led us to the help. Abraham tells this rich man that those who are alive have "Moses and the prophets." We have the Word of God! We can be born again "through the living and abiding word of God” (1 Pet. 1:23). This leads to the hope from the passage. That Lazarus was named speaks of the hope that our name is written in the Lamb's book of life. Our hope is in the name of Jesus who died that our name might be known in eternity. May we not be about making a name for ourself here but elevating the name of Jesus. Turn to Him in repentance of your sin and trust in what He did to die on that cross for our sin. Believe that, just as He rose from the dead, so shall we! Be warned by hell!

View Past Worship Services

Did You Know?

Annually, Standing Stone Bible Church must have at least two business meetings for our members. One is required by our constitution to elect elders and vote for the yearly budget. This happens in February each year. The second one is for the membership to vote for two members to join on a nominating committee that will labor to develop a slate of elders. This meeting happens in November - this year on November 17th.

This Month in Christian History

11/1/451
The Council of Chalcedon ended on November 1st, 451. Toward the end of the fourth century, two main schools of thought began to form in Christianity. The Antiochenes took a more literalistic interpretation of the Scriptures while the Alexandrians considered Scripture more allegorical. This led to a major disagreement when considering the incarnation of Jesus. While the Antiochenes saw the distinction between Christ’s two natures - yet wanting to preserve the integrity of both - one of their preachers, Nestorius, was convinced there were two distinct persons. Cyril of Alexandria, bishop from 412 until his death in 444, strongly and mercilessly disagreed bringing the conflict into a severe struggle. This continued for a few more years even though Pope Celestine and Emperor Theodosius intervened. After Cyril’s death, a teacher named Eutyches began teaching an extreme version of the hypostatic union to where the two natures were merged (the divine swallowing up the humanity of Jesus). It was in Chalcedon that the new emperor, Marcian, called an ecumenical council to settle this. They began on October 8, 451 with more than 500 bishops attending. They affirmed the Nicene Creed and ruled the theologies of both Nestorius and Eutyches were errant. The emperor wanted a new creed but the majority of bishops were against it. They agreed instead to a ‘definition’ that would further explain the doctrine of Christ. The final document consisted of several pages but one key paragraph we know today as the Definition of Chalcedon. It reads:

So, following the saintly fathers, we all with one voice teach the confession of one and the same Son, our Lord Jesus Christ: the same perfect in divinity and perfect in humanity, the same truly God and truly man, of a rational soul and a body; consubstantial with the Father as regards his divinity, and the same consubstantial with us as regards his humanity; like us in all respects except for sin; begotten before the ages from the Father as regards his divinity, and in the last days the same for us and for our salvation from Mary, the virgin God-bearer as regards his humanity; one and the same Christ, Son, Lord, only-begotten, acknowledged in two natures which undergo no confusion, no change, no division, no separation; at no point was the difference between the natures taken away through the union, but rather the property of both natures is preserved and comes together into a single person and a single subsistent being; he is not parted or divided into two persons, but is one and the same only-begotten Son, God, Word, Lord Jesus Christ, just as the prophets taught from the beginning about him, and as the Lord Jesus Christ himself instructed us, and as the creed of the fathers handed it down to us.

“What is the reason that men do not grow in grace? It is because sermons, like loads of fertilizer, are laid on the soul but remain unspread by the hand of meditation.”

- William Bridge

Prayer Prods

Praise God for our veterans
Cheri V has a procedure tomorrow
Our Reality crew (youth) and the lessons learned - may they be bold in their faith
Local ministry efforts (jail, quartet, Jaime, CEF clubs, care homes, etc).
Thankful hearts - may we not get lost in Christmas flurry and fly by 11/28.
Honduras trip & the gospel impact on the 800+ men and women that were served
Those compromised in their health

Weekly Prayer Prods