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Support a Nigerian Missionary (Al's info below)
Promotion Sunday note in e-bulletin
Communion & Pot Trust
“Four the Master” to “For the Master Music Ministry”

NIGERIAN MISSIONARY:
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.

STANDING STONE BIBLE

WEEKLY

June 2, 2025

A Point from pastor

Ken Begg is offering a "Monument Challenge" for this summer. All who participate will be "winners." The challenge is to be able to know what is on the monument stone out in front of the SSB building. Hint-Hint: The Ten Commandments are a part of it. What else? One has already correctly quote everything to be found on that stone. Who is next?

"But, wait!" you might be crying out. It's summer!!! This is vacation time. This is the time of the year my body and mind are to relax. If you are thinking that, we must really congratulate the great advertising campaigns that have led to this "summer" mentality. We've been duped!

We should rightly think about "rest." It is a good thing. God does not condemn rest or vacations. He has called it good (note Genesis 2:2-3). Jesus gave His apostles rest (see Mark 6:31). Jesus has invited us into spiritual rest (see Matt. 11:28-30 and Heb. 4:9-10). We should be grateful to Christ for His finished work that allows us to find true rest!

Yet, we are also warned against laziness and being idle. To where Paul told the church in Thessalonica that if "anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat" (2 Thess. 3:6-13). Throughout Scripture we find warnings against laziness. We are especially warned against spiritual complacency. There is no part for it - even in the summer months. Jesus warned against lukewarm spiritual apathy to the church in Laodicea (Rev. 3:15-16). We should be careful in the summer to not spiritually drift (Heb. 2:1). We should, even in the summer months, shake off spiritual sluggishness (Rom. 13:11-14). We should always be ready to redeem the time (Eph. 5:15-16).

This summer, draw closer to Christ - don't drift.
This summer, find your "rest" while being faithful, not in escaping.
This summer, steward your time - don't waste it.
This summer, do not replace spiritual disciplines with leisure.
Maybe, as you rest or vacation this summer, challenge yourself spiritually.... and, maybe even take on that "monument challenge."

Church Notes...

For those bringing children to Sunday school, "Promotion Sunday" is on June 1st. This means...

•New pre-school children (Age 3 prior to June) will now join with the pre-school to 5th grade.
•Pre-school through those going into 5th Grade will be in rooms 117-118 downstairs (for the summer).
•Those going into 6th grade will join the middle school class. Room 121.
•Those going into 9th grade will now join with the high school class in rooms 115-116.
•Senior Graduates get to choose! They may remain in the high school class for the summer or join another adult class (the 18–26 year-old class is recommended – meets in room 123).
•Other Adults – Hopefully, you know where you are. Adult classes currently meet in rooms 216, 100, and 122 (women).

THIS WEEK

Here are the highlights of classes and events THIS week

For the Master Music Ministry - This is our music ministry formerly called "Four the Master." They will be ministering Tuesday afternoon, 3:30pm at Maple Ridge near 168th and Maple. You may also find on these other dates this month:

June 12 @ 3:30pm - Aksarben Village
June 26 @ 2:00pm - Walnut Grove

No LIGHThouse Wednesday night this week (4th) - TLT will still meet at 6:30 (see below).

TLT, Teen Life Truths - This 10-week study of basic life principles for those entering 6th grade continues Wednesday nights, from 6:30 to 8:00pm. Older grades may also join in.

Prayer Force - Meets on Wednesday nights at 7pm. Youth and older children may attend when there are no club or LH activities.

upcoming events

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

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.

Funeral for Pattie Zelfel - Patty (a former SSB attendee) passed away on May 24th. There will be a visitation on Friday, June 13 from 4:30-6:00pm followed by a funeral service at 6pm. This will be held at Gretna's Roeder Mortuary.

VBS - Vacation Bible School will run from July 7-10 in the mornings. Plan now for your kiddo to attend. We will also need a good-sized crew of middle to high school students to help. Talk to PKW for more info.

Good News Club - In addition to VBS, we will host a CEF Summer Good News Club on June 23-26. This will run 90-minutes each afternoon for kids ages 4-12 at church. Each day the kids hear a Bible story, they play games and they get a clear gospel presentation.

Four the Master - Upcoming ministry events:

June 3 @ 3:30pm - Maple Ridge
June 12 @ 3:30pm - Aksarben Village

Creation Days is Coming! - Full day event on August 9th

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places

- Ephesians 1:3

Grace, mercy, and peace will be with us, from God the Father and from Jesus Christ the Father's Son, in truth and love.

- 2 John 1:3

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort

- 2 Corinthians 1:3

the Lord's day

We opened in giving glory to Jesus Christ our Lord followed by worshipping Him in song. After singing of abiding in Him, we spoke of abiding/remaining/dwelling in Him. Part of our abiding in Jesus is to share often in Communion.

We shared in Communion from Psalm 24. Through that, we acknowledged that everything belongs to God. We belong to God. What great comfort should be ours as we trust that we have never left His land... and we are not our own. We asked who is worthy to come into His presence and stand before Him. The answer? None of us! Our hands are not clean, our hearts not pure, our souls chase after other Gods, and our words project righteousness while hiding sin. We are not worthy - apart from Christ. He ascended that hill before us! Our sin was placed on Christ and His righteousness was placed on us - we can be in God's presence through Christ! Tremendous blessings! Finally, we spoke of the coming King of glory - the one who left the throne, and then ascended to the throne but is coming back. The King of glory is the LORD, strong and mighty - The Lord of hosts. He is this King of glory!

View Past Worship Services

Did You Know?

The Youth begin their summer hours this month. LGt will meet from 6 to 9pm beginning this Sunday. LIGHThouse (not meeting this Wednesday night) will meet from 7 to 9 beginning on June 11th. TLT will still meet on June 4 at 6:30pm.

Who is Worthy?

Jacob was Abraham’s grandson (Isaac and Rebekah’s son). He was the younger twin brother of Esau… a rival of his from inside the womb! Doubtless that Isaac and Rebekah had their hands full raising this pair of boys. Esau was favored by dad but Rebekah was partial to Jacob. As Isaac aged, he was tricked by Jacob into giving the firstborn blessing to Jacob instead of Esau (Gen. 27:6-41). Jacob certainly lived up to his name (Jacob means "supplanter"). Fearing that Esau had vowed to kill Jacob, mom sends Jacob away to choose a wife from her brother’s family. Jacob remains for fourteen years laboring to earn the marriage of Rachel (after being tricked into marrying her older sister). In many ways, the conflict between Rachel and Leah was a counterpart to Jacob and Esau’s struggle. Jacob did eventually return to be reconciled with his brother. He eventually was used by God and fathered the twelve tribes of Israel (his new name given by God). Jacob is a man that we would do well to avoid modeling our life after but we can certainly see God’s grace in His life. God can use a schemer like Jacob… or you... or I. God is worthy!

This Month in Christian History

June 4, 1985
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Wallace v. Jaffree that Alabama's statute authorizing a one-minute period of silence in public schools "for meditation or voluntary prayer" violated the First Amendment's Establishment Clause. This decision rendered the law unconstitutional.

By striking down the law, the Court essentially reinforced the notion that prayer and acknowledgment of God have no place in public life. Scripture teaches that God's authority extends over all spheres of life, including government and education (Colossians 1:16–17). When public institutions deny that authority, they place human judgment above divine truth.

Additionally, the Court claimed to be protecting religious neutrality, but in practice, excluding prayer from schools promotes a secular worldview, which is itself a belief system. Jesus warned about the dangers of neutrality toward God: “Whoever is not with me is against me” (Matthew 12:30). Denying prayer is not neutrality—it’s an affirmation of secular humanism as the default worldview.

The Wallace v. Jaffree ruling symbolized a key turning point in the broader cultural shift away from Christian values in public life. What was once a society that openly honored God in schools and public institutions increasingly became hostile to public expressions of faith.

From a biblical standpoint, this is a clear sign of spiritual rebellion and moral decay—placing man’s authority above God’s sovereignty.

Be the Church

The Second Step

Last month, we looked at the first step of discipleship - we study who Jesus was and commit our life to Him. Second...

Young men would spend time, during Jesus’s day, investigating a rabbi to determine their credibility. As disciples, we did this as well. We investigated His identity to see if He was the Messiah. After committing our life to Christ, our discipleship has only begun. For those following a rabbi, this meant total commitment. They would memorize what he said. They would mimic his lifestyle. They would choose to be with him. They would learn from him. They would become like him. This is our call as a disciple. We do not just believe in Jesus. We also follow Him! Disciples go deeper into relationship with Jesus; we abide in Him. “Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5). Disciples of Christ, in obedience, will immerse themselves into a deep relationship with Him. This is ongoing discipleship. We must live this out… and help others do this as well. Be the church!

BIG Words

Immutability

See Numbers 23:19; Isaiah 40:28; Malachi 3:6; Hebrews 13:8; James 1:17. “Immutable” means “unchanging” or “unalterable.” God is immutable. Perhaps immutability is best expressed this way: God is the same. Charnock wrote “He could not be the same if he could be changed into any other thing than what he is.” You are the same, and your years have no end (Psalm 102:27). God’s immutability is an expression of His perfection. Change implies something might become better or worse. Although we might see in Scripture that God “changes his mind” (Gen. 6:6; Exo. 32:14; Jonah 3:4), these are examples of anthropomorphism (see “Big Words,” SSB Weekly, Jan 30, 2023). These are human characteristics applied to God that we might better understand Him (e.g. when we read of God’s “hand”). God adapts His treatment of us in response to our variation, our actions and character. Thus, God was to destroy Nineveh in 40-days but they repented. God’s character remained immutable throughout. God is the same!

The Moral of the story

Although Baltimore held a 3-0 lead going into the 4th inning, the game against the Texas Rangers on August 22, 2007 drastically changed. The Rangers scored five runs in the fifth inning, followed by another nine in the sixth. Another ten runs in the 8th inning would take the teams, going into the 9th inning, to a score of 24-3.

This was a home game for Baltimore. Any thoughts on the number of fans that were still watching by the ninth inning? They knew it. The players knew it. The game was over. There was no way the Orioles could come back from 24 to 3. Disaster!

What if, though, by some magic or miracle, they could have returned the game to 0-0 going into the ninth inning? The players would have been hopeful again. Baltimore, as the home team, might have played with some intensity, cheered on by hopeful fans.

Resetting the score in a bad game is the way forgiveness with God works. Forgiveness restores our hope. Many feel hopelessly defeated because of sin. But the gospel does an amazing thing. Even with a hopeless score, Jesus is able to reset the score again. When our sins are forgiven, we have a clean start, a whole new ball game, with renewed hope. And, a guaranteed victory! “From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” (2 Cor. 5:16-17).

• 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.

A Joyful Heart

Several years ago, I worked for a brokerage company and got a call one night from Robert Hayes, the actor. He was best known for his role as the disgraced pilot Ted Striker, who landed the plane in the 1970s spoof movie Airplane! We probably had a 30-minute conversation; it took me a few minutes to realize that this was the Robert Hayes. I confirmed this after as he shared that he grew up in the Omaha area. He went to Bellevue High School (now Bellevue East). We talked business for a bit but then talked religion and politics. He said he was surprised that his high school mascot was still the Chieftains… that they had not been forced to change their name for political correctness. Robert and I talked about how you can't even mention God anymore without someone being offended.

As we wrapped up the phone call, Robert said to me, “Oh, one other thing.” “Yes?” “God bless you.” I said, “God bless you too.” And we hung up. Bellevue East is still the Chieftains. And no Christian should ever aspire to be “politically correct.” Why should I be politically correct? I’m not a politician! That being said, as Christians, although we should not to go out of our way to offend others, we must remember that the truth of Christianity is offensive. Paul speaks about the cross being offensive (Gal. 5:11). Even more so, the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing (1 Cor. 1:18). Are we willing to offend another for the sake of Christ… and for the sake of their lost soul?

“What we are commanded to do (Eph. 5:18) is to be filled with the Holy Spirit (a present imperative, suggesting ongoing action). This is not so much a matter of our getting more of the Holy Spirit; presumably all Christians possess the Spirit completely. It is, rather, a matter of His possessing more of our lives.”

- Millard Erickson

Prayer Prods

Family and friends of Patty Z - service on 6/13
Laurie H - knee surgery on Friday
Others still in mourning: Marsha and family, Phil and family
Cancer folks... Kathie, Tami, and Peggy all under new meds - some with great difficulty.
Recovery: Sue P - tibia fracture, Marco - ankle surgery. Others in a healing mode
Three of our young men are in Colorado Springs for Summit (Aaron H, Elijah W, Isaac W)
Jensen family adjusting to Toby's arrival
Summer months for those with different schedules (thinking of our college students, teachers, etc - may the time be for the Lord)

Weekly Prayer Prods