STANDING STONE BIBLE

WEEKLY

April 21, 2025

A Point from pastor

This coming Saturday night is an opportunity to join in music and worship.   You might join at 7pm.  Expect to share in singing and sharing in several worship songs as we continue to praise God for His glorious works.  

Speaking of glorious works - what a celebration we just went through.  Not that we did anything super special at SSB (although we had several "special" touchpoints).  The specialness comes from every aspect of those days in history being eternally significant to every single person in the world.   It was an amazing celebration because what we celebrate is amazing!   Think of it:  

Amazing that a father would give up his only son as a means of punishment for the crimes of his enemy!   He knew his son would die the most horrific of deaths, being brutalized and mocked beforehand and then suffering through the torture of death on a cross.  Then, this father took the punishment he had reserved for all of mankind and, through his love of this wretched people, applied that punishment to his own son.   How amazing!  

Amazing that his son would willingly want to do this.  The son wasn't coerced - he didn't just go along out of compulsion.  The son willingly wanted to do this and understood that he would personally experience the most intense misery ever known.  Not only that, this son would undergo absolute betrayal by his entire group of friends - they abandoned him.  Then, worst of all, he not only was tortured by his enemies, but willingly took punishment from his  father - wrathful punishment of an eternal scope - that should have gone to those who hurt him.  How amazing.  

Amazing that the Holy Spirit would then willingly come to take up residence inside of the very people that previously had been responsible for the pain of the Father and Son.  That the Spirit would willingly remain inside of a people still prone to wander, a people who get their hands dirty with sin each day.  Although empowering believers, the Spirit daily contends with the flesh - thus, the Spirit is always living on the battle lines of a war.   How amazing!  

Amazing love from God... Amazing...  In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.- 1 John 4:10

THIS WEEK

Here are the highlights of classes and events THIS week

Worship Cont...   - He is Risen!   Come Saturday night at 7pm for an evening of worship and music.  Invite others and join!!!  

Nursery Staff Meeting - Saturday morning at 9am will be a staff meeting fro Sunday nursery workers/staff.  

Ladies' Brunch - 
Saturday morning at 10am is a ladies' tea party....  Invite friends, other gals, a mother, daughter, sister...  and (if you have) come dressed in or with something floral.  

Four the Master - 
Ministering at Richmont Village on April 26, 3pm.  You may join our gospel quartet to be encouraged in this (and be an encourager).  They will also be at Elk Ridge Assisted Living on May 1st at 2pm.

upcoming events

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

OA:sis - We are finishing up the OA:sis season in the next few weeks.  We conclude on Wednesday, May 7th.  LIGHThouse and Prayer Force will continue through the summer months.    

TLT, Teen Life Truths - This is a 10-week study of basic life principles for those entering 6th grade.  This will begin on May 14 from 6:30 to 8:10pm.  Older grades may also join in.  

CCS, Colossae Collaborative School - This homeschool help offered by SSB is preparing for the upcoming school year beginning in the fall.  If you are interested, please ask for information.

For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people,

- Titus 2:11

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

- Ephesians 2:8-9

For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace.

- John 1:16

the Lord's day

Sunrise Service was at the Gerdes' property south of town.  It was chilly but still warmer than most years.  Thank you to those who helped clean up Saturday and to those who helped prepare and serve the food (thanks Katie!).  Thank you Ron and Rhonda for opening up your property for so many years -  we have been blessed!  

After the "peace" of our sunrise service, we came to SSB for Sunday school followed by worship.  The sanctuary was full!   May some who visited become some who come back.  We opened with some simple worship (thank you Troy and Shawna) followed by a video about Jesus being the center of everything (wow!) and our young adults presenting a skit.  You must watch the skit if you missed.   Very powerful as it highlighting our responsibility in nailing Jesus to the cross!   Thanks to the seven that presented.

The message was from Matthew 21 - this parable of the wicked tenants that Jesus told after the triumphal entry.  Jesus clearly spoke of the coming cross and His resurrection.  We learned that everything we have is entrusted to us.  We've earned nothing!  We learned about the astonishing patience of God.  We learned of this gospel not being about we finding the son but God sending His Son to find us, knowing the great cost... the cross!  We also saw that justice will come.  There is a limit to God's patience and mercy.  We learned of the importance of bearing fruit for the vineyard owner (God).   We learned of Jesus being who He said He was - the Son of God.  The final point we learned was that we either build on Jesus Christ as the cornerstone or we build on something different than what God is building - and, as we saw in the video, judgment is promised to all who reject Christ. 

• Am I my brother’s keeper?  Genesis 4:1-10 (v 9)

After destroying a quarter of the entire earth’s population by murdering his only brother, God asks Cain, “Where is Abel your brother?”  

Cain responds with a question in return: “I do not know; am I my brother’s keeper?”  We often hear that Cain was the first murderer in the Bible.  I might argue that we could conclude his dad gets that honor.  God told Adam, “eat… and die” and Adam let his wife eat, knowing what God had said.  In that sense, Cain did not start anything new but continued in sin as his father before him.  And, just to clarify, that was not the only sin.  He lied to God.  His anger was sinful.  That also probably led to coveting of what Abel had (sheep). He also very likely stole the sheep after Abel died.  He certainly dishonored his parents by murdering their child.  Not to mention his failing to love God.  Cain did not just murder.

 
“Am I my brother’s keeper?”  God answers “What have you done?”   God tells Cain that his brother’s blood is crying to God from the ground and then curses Cain.   On one hand, God is our keeper – ultimately, each person’s lives are in His hand.  We just cannot be responsible for everyone’s safety all of the time (e.g. parents must entrust their older children into God’s keeping).  But, on that other hand, we are our brother’s keeper.  God’s answer to Cain was “Yes!”   For our brothers and sisters in Christ, we must keep them by, first, not sinning against them.   This includes sins of the tongue.   Second, we must keep one another … with a “unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind” (1 Pet. 3:8).  We love one another. 

“The changed lives of those early Christian believers is one of the most telling testimonies to the fact of the resurrection.  Had there been visible benefits - prestige, wealth, or increased social status - we might logically account for their actions.   As a reward, however, for their wholehearted and total allegiance to this "risen Christ," these early Christians were beaten, stoned to death, thrown to the lions, tortured, crucified and subjected to every conceivable method of stopping them from talking. Yet they were the most peaceful of men, who physically forced their beliefs on no one.  Rather they laid down their very lives as the ultimate proof of their complete confidence in the truth of their message.”


- Josh McDowell

Prayer Prods

  1. The many yesterday who visited - that they were impacted spiritually.  
  2. Sharon P -  bad knee, may need surgery
  3. Bockman and McRae families in mourning.
  4. Nancy S at Life Care in Elkhorn recovering
  5. Mary T with back pain - needing surgery
  6. Tami N's and Kathie P's cancer treatments
  7. High school seniors after banquet... their final days of high school
  8. Joyce N, Ron M, Peggy O, Joe R - Cancer
  9. Becky, Steve, and Mike continued recovery

General Calendar