The Blog
What is the Pastor doing to You? (Part 1)
There is a great new book by Alister Begg called Preaching for God’s glory. It is a great book specifically written to preachers, and Begg accurately identifies some of the popular traps in which preachers can find themselves. He identifies seven caricatures: The...
Praying the Bible
So here is the good news: 55% of Americans say that they pray everyday. Along with that statistic, 79% of evangelical Christians claim that they pray daily. Honestly, in the midst of the steady secularization that most of our communities are experiencing, this number...
The New City Catechism
Last week, I mentioned a catechism that my family uses in our home with our kids. To hear that message, click on the button below. It is said that catechisms are written for three primary purposes: One, they are written to set forth a comprehensive exposition of the...
The Briefing
Do you have a Christian worldview? The news and events of our world seem to unfold too quickly to properly process. Our news feeds constantly release stories, and as Christians, we are often left wondering what we should think, how we should think, and we rarely seem...
The Church and Sin
Options 1 and 2… There are few things that confuse the church more than how to deal with sin. On the one hand we have Option #1, and I will call this the “God is Love” option. We love people. We don’t want to judge. We don’t want to hold to a kind of legalistic,...
Familiar or Awe Inspiring?
I remember a trip that I took to Colorado Springs for a conference several years ago. For a Texas boy who has never lived around mountains, Colorado just amazes me. Snow capped mountains literally surrounded the auditorium in which we met, and I began to lament the...
The Joy of the Church
There is something special about a community of faith, a church family. There is an unmatched joy in celebrating Christ and new life together in a community. In fact, many of the moments in my life that I remember the most were moments that happened together in my...
One Up / One Down / Many Around
Jesus clearly and unarguably has called his disciples to be on the mission of making disciples. His last words spoken to his disciples before he ascended into heaven is recorded for us in Matthew 28. And again, his command is clear... And Jesus came and said to them,...
The Gospel; From the Sauna to the Pool
In order to truly appreciate the sun's warmth, we need to know the way it feels to lack it. In order understand the necessity of the light, we need to know the way it feels to be in darkness. In order to truly understand and appreciate the good news, it must be set...
What if I Never See Results?
We are all longing for purpose, significance, and meaning. We want to be involved in something bigger than ourselves, and we hope to make a difference in this world. But, living a life like this can be challenging, because so often the impact that we are hoping to...
Why I Got Baptized
My name is John Jeffers, and I chose to be baptized at Stone Oak Bible Church approximately a year and a half ago. And for those who know me, you also know that I no youngster; either chronologically or spiritually. Jesus become my Lord and savior during my 2nd year...
Why Do I Need the Psalms?
The book of Psalms is an incredible and unique book. The book is a collection of 150 Psalms written by several authors over the span of many years, and each Psalm is poem, song, or hymn that is designed to be used in worship. Throughout history these Psalms have...
Absolutes in a Relative World
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. - John 14:6 (ESV) This is a powerful and well known verse in our Bibles. It is a statement made by Jesus to his disciples, and it is statement that reveals His...
Gospel Growth Beyond Our Church Walls
Our church is a part of a movement that is much larger than ourselves. Although I care greatly about the health and the wellbeing of our church, although I hope that we continue to grow, that we continue to reach people far from Christ, and that we are able to see...
Paul is Hard to Understand
Have you ever come across a passage of Scripture that you just couldn’t understand? Have you ever struggled through a chapter of Romans, 1 Corinthians, or Revelation? Have you ever looked for answers in commentaries and study notes only to find out that other...
Read Scripture
One of the greatest passions of our church is to help each of us spend more time in God's Word. The motivation for this passion is not one of legalism, or guilt, or traditionalism. Instead, our motivation is that we believe that God has made himself known. God has...
The Unquenchable Flame
2017 is the 500th anniversary of the Reformation! I know that you can hardly contain your excitement... Right?!? I know that the term "Reformation" can a loaded term for many Christians today. For some, it is a positive term that is celebrated. We remember men such as...
Entrusted with the Gospel
“But just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not to please man, but to please God who tests our hearts." - 1 Thessalonians 2:4 (ESV) Here are some quick observations from this great passage: It boosts our confidence. “we have...