STANDING STONE BIBLE

WEEKLY

Monday, December 15, 2025
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A Point from pastor

A note on NC...
Annually, SSB forms a "nominating committee" that is put in place to help form a slate of elders for the coming year.  This year we have Nick Cortese, Marco Gonzalez, Laurie Hicks, Matt Sutton and myself as that committee.   Members of SSB have a responsibility to consider, nominate, and then vote for the elders as well as the assistant treasurer that will serve us.  Begin to consider and pray about this.  We will give you more information in the next few weeks on the process.  

A note on "No Kings"...
Our Sunday school kids presented the annual Christmas program last night.  Several marched in protest against King Herod.  That would have been such a Jewish thing to do - they hated King Herod.  They hated Rome.   Yet, a king is exactly what we need!  
They sang (to the tune of "Away in a Manger"):  
If there was a King who would suffer our pain,
    Who’d walk among sinners, and know every name,
A King not of power, but gentle and true,
    Then maybe that’s Someone we’d bo-ow down to

That is exactly what God did for us - He sent one who came (at first) not in power but gentle and full of truth.  One who walked among sinners and suffered our pain.  Jesus is our King.  May He reign in your heart today!

Thank you TEACHERS for helping to run the show and prepare the kids.  Thank you for the parents that helped your kids learn their lines.  They also had some original songs to learn - this was not easy.  We also had a handful of kids that were on stage the whole time - great work!   Thank you Isaiah for jumping in (fresh from college) to play piano.  Thanks to Cassidy and Al running audio and camera.  Yes, it was recorded - just not live streamed.  if you are interested in watching, I can get you a link this week (let me know).  

A note on the Hanukkah shooting...
In Sydney, Australia yesterday, 42 people were injured in an murderous attack (at least 15 died).  It seems a father/son duo targeted Jews for being Jewish - celebrating the festival of lights.   “Woe to those who call evil good and good evil” (Isaiah 5:20)  This was an evil act.  But, God gets the final word - not "evil."  

We should grieve with Jews as they continue to face more and more persecution (we weep with those who weep - Rom. 12:15).   As followers of Jesus, we must be aware that violent acts towards people expressing a belief in God and what He says against sin will more and more be met with aggression.  Even so, Christ reigns!  

Violence and hatred should remind us that the world is still groaning. We grieve with those who grieve, we reject evil clearly, and we place our hope where Scripture tells us to—on Christ, who has overcome the world.  May we respond not in fear but with truth, prayer, and faithfulness.  
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THIS WEEK

Here are the highlights of classes and events THIS week

Young Adults - Young Adults meet tonight at 7pm.   Also a study on Saturday at 1pm.  18-26ish.  

Cantata Rehearsal - The Christmas cantata has a few more rehearsals this week: Wednesday night (for the kids choir) from 6:30 to 7pm.  Saturday morning 9:30 to 11:30am.  

LIGHThouse Christmas Party - This Friday night, December 19th for 6th to 12th graders!  6pm.  

Men's Breakfast - Saturday morning at 7:30am is the men's Christmas party (okay, technically its the monthly men's breakfast).  Join us, men for this time of eating, sharing around a table with other men, and hearing from another about their life.  This is an encouraging time of fellowship each month.  For the studious men, join in at 6:30 am for a Bible study that proceeds the party, er, um... breakfast.  

Cantata - The annual Christmas Cantata is this Sunday morning, December 21st, during the worship service.   Do not miss it!   

upcoming events

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

Christmas Eve Service - Wednesday night, December 24th at 5:30pm.

Christmas Day Service - Thursday morning, December 25th at 10am.

Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.

-  Zechariah 9:9

And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent.

-  Colossians 1:18

Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ,

-  Ephesians 4:15

the Lord's day

We sang and made much of Christ coming at the incarnation.  Our Sunday  school kids spent their hour in the sanctuary practicing for the program.  They put that on Sunday night - and did wonderfully!  

We stayed in Jude for the message (Jude?  For Christmas?).  Working through the letter of Jude, we have confronted false belief and cultural Christianity; Sunday, we did so as it surfaces during the Christmas season. Jude’s closing doxology (vv. 24–25) becomes a lens through which we view the incarnation: God’s glory and majesty breaking into darkness, and Christ’s dominion and authority quietly present in the manger. Though Jesus appeared weak and humble at His birth, God’s power and authority were unmistakably at work—through prophecy, angels, miracles, and divine protection. For false believers, Christ’s authority is terrifying; for those in Christ, it is a source of deep comfort, security, and hope. Christmas, then, is not sentimental nostalgia but a summons to worship the reigning King. True celebration means welcoming Christ not only as Savior, but as Lord.
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• Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound?   Romans 6:1-14

Paul just finished explaining how, because sin had flourished, grace had flourished so much more.  The idea implied is we might gain more grace if we live a more sinful life.  Thus, the question, “Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound?”  Paul’s response?  Absolutely not!  If grace has been granted the sin should be dead.  Like Christ, we should be resurrected people!  The challenge though:  In order to be resurrected we must be crucified first.  I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me (Gal. 2:20).

That brings us to the struggle; we don’t willingly want to die.  This is why we must be crucified.  We must allow sin to die – and it won't die willingly.  It must be put to death in a violent and forceful way (as in the case of crucifixion).  We should cry out that our sin be put to death not unlike the crowds called for Jesus to be killed.  May we show no mercy to our sinful self.  Let it die on the cross and then we keep it on the cross.   And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires (Gal. 5:24).  We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin (Rom. 6:6).   So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus (Rom 6:11). 

“Except for Joseph, there was no one to share Mary's pain. Or her joy.  Yes, there were angels announcing the Savior's arrival - but only to a band of blue-collar shepherds.  And yes, a magnificent star shone in the sky to mark his birthplace -but only [a few] foreigners bothered to look up and follow it.  Thus, in the little town of Bethlehem . . . that one silent night . . . the royal birth of God's Son tiptoed quietly by . . . as the world slept.”


- Ken Gire

Prayer Prods

Weekly Prayer Prods
  1. Lowell & Betty in their new apartment at Nye
  2. Ron A mourning his brother.  Doug G mourning his sister.  Joan K - coworker was murdered
  3. Monte S, Kathy A, Betty W - infections
  4. Joe R - recovering from stroke.  They both need some help
  5. Joanie & Gerald Busselman both in hospice care

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