STANDING STONE BIBLE

WEEKLY

March 4, 2024

A Point from pastor

This is the month where we celebrate the Resurrection of Christ. There will be a few Easter specials to aid in this. The next few weeks contain some "specials" in advance of that: The ladies head up to Camp Merrill for a retreat this Friday. Some of our youth head to Kearney the weekend after for a discipleship training. Then, the men have a "shed event." In the middle of those events is a Pinewood Derby for our Club Kids. Seems like everyone is represented. Join in to the events you can.

All of those come prior to Easter. May they each be, in many ways, a setup for celebrating the death, burial, and resurrection of our Lord Jesus. Make plans now, today, to plan on some "specials" in your life and for your family that would draw you closer to the cross of Christ and His tomb. The greatest few days in history are being remembered and celebrated. Do not let these coming days slip by without being moved to participate in a fresh way.

John Piper wrote, “Life is wasted if we do not grasp the glory of the cross, cherish it for the treasure that it is, and cleave to it as the highest price of every pleasure and the deepest comfort in every pain. What was once foolishness to us—a crucified God—must become our wisdom and our power and our only boast in this world.” Consider how special and significant what happened was for YOU.

So they took Jesus, and he went out, bearing his own cross, to the place called The Place of a Skull, which in Aramaic is called Golgotha. There they crucified him, and with him two others, one on either side, and Jesus between them. Pilate also wrote an inscription and put it on the cross. It read, “Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.” (John 19:16b-19)

THIS WEEK

Here are the highlights of classes and events THIS week

Ladies' Retreat - Friday night, the ladies' retreat begins at Moses Merrill Conference Center. Carpool from the church leaving at 5pm on Friday and return around 4pm on Saturday. Ladies should pack their Bible, overnight essentials and a snack to share.

Pinewood Derby Workshop - The final pinewood derby workshop for club kids (ages K-5th grade) is Saturday morning at 10am. This will be primarily for painting, assembling, and weighing. The Pinewood Derby is Wednesday, March 13th - that night, friends/parents/grandparents may all join and cheer on the racers .

TLT - Teen Life Truths Session # 7 is Wednesday night at 6:30.

WCC - A study of doctrine is Saturday morning at 8:00am. This class uses the Westminster Confessional as a guide and the Bible as the rule of law.

Info Class (Membership) - An information class continues Sunday morning for any interested in learning more about SSB. These last two classes will be March 10 and 17 during the Sunday school hour (8:45 - 9:45am). This is also a necessary class for anyone interested in pursuing membership.

upcoming events

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

STINT Discipleship Weekend - The youth head out Friday, March 15th for this 2-day youth event in Kearney, Nebraska.

Men's Shed Event - The annual men's shed event is March 22nd at 6:30 (Friday night). This will be in the SSB "Shed" (the gym) ... men should enter on the east side if the "shed" doors. Bring your sons and invite other men for a chili cook-off, speakers, music, and great fellowship.

“Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.”

- Revelation 4:11

Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength. Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.

- Isaiah 40:28-31

Of old you laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands. They will perish, but you will remain; they will all wear out like a garment. You will change them like a robe, and they will pass away, but you are the same, and your years have no end.

- Psalm 102:25-27

the Lord's day

We praised the Lord for this battle that He has already won. He provides... He fights! It is well!!! We sang of the ten thousand reasons we have to bless the Lord. We sang of Christ as our cornerstone; in Him alone we stand.

We shared in communion contemplating how we entered our life with Christ through dying to self (baptism pictures this) and we live in this life through our daily walk with Christ, He nourishing us (communion pictures this). We talked about our being "pickled" - In Christ, we should be taking on His flavor and His aroma (2 Cor. 2). This communion means we are not alone. We participate in Christ's blood and His body. We are not alone.

The message briefly spoke of the significance of not just the testimony of the water but also the blood (1 John 5:6-12). We can come to the water of repentance but, without the cross of Christ, without His atoning work on the cross, we will not be saved.

View Past Worship Services

This Month in Christian History

George Wishart died on March 1st in 1546. Born in Scotland in 1513, he attended Louvain University in France before becoming a priest. Early on he got in trouble for teaching young men to read the Bible in the original language. His preaching, as well, became a point of contention with the church – he preached the simple truth that sin was only healed by the Lord Jesus Christ. He lived his faith out in being kind and generous to others, often giving his clothes and bed-sheets to the poor. After several attempts on his life (one of which, Wishart defended his would-be assassin from the angry crowd), John Knox, the famous Scottish reformer, followed Wishart around as a bodyguard.

When Wishart was finally arrested, he refused to let Knox come to his trial and execution stating “one is sufficient for one sacrifice.” At his trial, he was found guilty, after defending himself by quoting directly from the Bible. He was hanged and then burnt at the stake outside of St. Andrews. His preaching had helped to unite believers across Scotland and his death furthered the spread of the gospel.

Wishart was willing to die for the truth he found in the Bible. His preaching helped to transform the nation. Both his preaching and caring for the needs of the people (spiritual needs and physical needs) meant the gospel was being shown and shared.

“Cast not away your confidence because God defers his performances. That which does not come in your time, will be hastened in his time, which is always the more convenient season. God will work when he pleases, how he pleases, and by what means he pleases. He is not bound to keep our time, but he will perform his work, honor our faith, and reward them that diligently seek him.”

- Matthew Henry

Prayer Prods

Upcoming events - the Ladies' retreat & youth discipleship event.
Amy having surgery next week; others still recovering from surgery
McFarling legal battle
Gerald B's weakened condition
Those in cancer battles: Jessica M, Peggy O, Kathie P, Pattie Z and others
Katie & Baby - birth may be sooner
ABC pastoral search

Weekly Prayer Prods