First, he probably heard his name being shouted, without hearing Pilate’s plea. Next Barabbas probably heard them shout “Crucify Him!”  Upon hearing, I can imagine him sinking down into his cell, thinking that he was next in line to die.  And as the guards carried him out, his whole life probably flashed before him.  Imagine the intense mixture of emotions when he realized the crowd wasn’t calling for him. They were calling for Jesus instead.

Jesus took the place of Barabbas.  Jesus took the place of you. Jesus took the place of me. An interesting and powerful perspective!

vs. 18 “But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as He chose.”

We weren’t given gifts for the sake of having gifts. Nor were they ever meant to be badges of merit, distinguishing the elite from the common. Rather, they were hand-picked by God and give to each of us to work as one body TOGETHER. Christ prayed in John 17, that we would all be one body as He and the Father are one.

There’s a popular bumper sticker that reads “God Bless America,” but hasn’t America already been blessed?

And as we think about it, there is not  a single person who is void of the responsibility of meeting other’s needs.  In Matthew 10, Christ says that when we give a cup of water to the least of these, we are giving it to Him.

As we continue to explore the different opportunities to serve in our community, pray about where God is prompting your heart to give.

As we become more externally focused at Stonebridge, our heart has to be positioned for service. This is accomplished through the powerful interweaving of God, Our City, and the Church.

As you can see, they all three work together. God saves the Church for service, while His truth and justice takes a form of service through the police and judicial system in cities. The Church and the City never control each other, but work aside each other in service.

As we move towards service, we are reminded of the story of the good Samaritan in Luke 10:30-37. The Good Samaritan sets the example:

• He doesn’t avoid the person in need
• He offered medical help
• He provided transportation
• He provided lodging and companionship

Something to think about as we pray about meeting the needs in our community!

*diagram from: Rusaw, R. & Swanson, E. “The Externally Focused Church” pp. 55-72.

The author of the Psalms was no stranger to this concept.  In Psalm 23, David script eight different names for the very same God, each describing a powerul and unique aspect of our father:

Jehova Rohi – Our Shepherd.
Psalm 23:1 – “The Lord is my shepherd…”
Also found in:  John 10:1-11

Jehova Jireh – Our Provider.
Psalm 23:1 – “…I shall not want.”
Also found in: Genesis 22:9-14

Jehova Shalom – Our peace.
Psalm 23:2 – “He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters.”
Also found in: Judges 6:23-24

Jehovah Rapha – Our healer.
Psalm 23:3 – “He restores my soul;”
Also found in: Exodus 15:26, Psalm 105:2-3

Jehovah-Tsidkenu – Our righteousness.
Psalm 23:3 – “He guides me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake.”
Also found in: 2 Cor. 5:21

Jehovah Nissi - Our banner or victor.
Psalm 23:4-5 – “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;”
Also found in: Exodus 17:15-16, Ephesians 6:10-18, Isaiah 54:17

Jehovah M’Kaddesh – Our sanctifier.
Psalm 23:5 – “You have anointed my head with oil; My cup overflows.”
Also found in: Exodus 31:13, Hebrews 13:12, 1 Peter 1:15-16

Jehovah Shammah - He is present or with us.
Psalm 23:6 – “Surely goodness and loving kindness will follow me all the days of my life, And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”
Also found in: Ezekiel 48:35, Ps. 46:1-3, Joshua 1:5, Mt. 28:20

So what’s your favorite name for God and why?

• Unity among the believers (church & city)
• That the lost will see Christ
• Wisdom for our leadership (staff, elders, leadership team)
• Northside Baptist Church – Does God want us to join?
• Our finances at Stonebridge
•  Wisdom and clarity to set long term goals that God desires for this body of believers

So here’s your chance to share!  What has God been showing you through fasting and prayer?  Have you ever fasted before?

“I am the ground of they beseeching; it is my will thou shalt have it; after, I make thee to will it; and after I make thee to beseech it and thou beseechest it.  How should it then be that thou shouldst not have thy beseeching?”

We often approach prayer selfishly, regardless of our good intentions.  Think about it. Our prayers are most often filled with things that matter most to us.  Yet, as we mature in our relationship with God, our prayers move beyond the self-centered towards a responsiveness to the presence of God.  There are two aspects of prayer that spurs us towards this type of responsiveness:

1.  Prayer is meant to change.
- “To pray is to change. Prayer is the central avenue God uses to transform us.  If we are unwilling to change, we will abandon prayer as a noticeable characteristic of our lives.  The closer we  come to the heartbeat of God the more we see our need and the more we desire to be conformed to Christ.” Richard Foster

-  When you walk away from the presence of God, you should never be left the same. You approach Him with plenty of baggage and human frailty. Acknowledge this when you approach the throne.

2.  Truly Effective, life changing prayer is a learned discipline
- In Luke 11:1 the disciples, after seeing Christ pray asked, “Lord, teach us to pray…” If the disciples didn’t have it figured out, how do we expect to without first learning how?

-Knowing that prayer is a learned discipline it frees us to “question, experiment, even fail,” as Foster would say.  Our prayer life is subject to human behavior.  That is to say, that it is very easy for our prayers to become a daily habit, rather than a daily discipline. Move beyond your realm of experience and try something new in order to approach God’s face.

- You are not alone. Christ said in John 15:7, “Abide in Him and He will abide in us.” Knowing this, we are charged with constant communication with Father God.

An average day for the Fairs, starts at about 5:30 AM.  They are responsible for feeding 17 children and getting those old enough off to school.  Meanwhile, the younger ones come to the Fair’s house where they run a pre-school in a spare bedroom.  If any of the kids need medical care, they take them to the clinics.  They have “mammas” that help take care of the kids as well. They are locally hired women who help with cleaning and feeding the kids. On top of this,  the Fairs seek out more children in other villages who need sponsorship. In the past 8 months they have lived there, they have found over 500 sponsorships.

Stonebridge plans to partner with the Fairs in several ways. First and foremost, we want to lift them up continually in prayer and fasting.  They have asked us to pray for renewing strength, physically and mentally.  Also pray that God continues to strengthen their marriage as they adopt more children.  Pray for spiritual discernment for the people of South Africa.

Secondly, we plan on supporting them finacially through offerings or sending needed supplies. One of the unique qualities about the Oceans of Mercy ministry is that 100% of the donations go directly to the children. There is no money taken out for administration or missionary support.  Administration is paid for through fund raisers. However, missionaries like Dan and Kristi rely completely on the gifts of friends, family, and fellow believers in Christ. Being a missionary does not absolve them from paying for their own food, shelter, electricity, etc. If you feel lead to give to the children or to the Fairs, please contact a staff member for more information. If you want to sponsor a child, a site has already been set up to handle this: www.onelifechild.org

In the future, we hope to send teams from Stonebridge to visit and work along side the Fairs as they continue to do ministry in Port Elizabethtown, South Africa.   They are currently reworking the way they have received teams in the past and will let us know when teams will be able to come.

Photo courtesy of shortfatkid

There is something about Christmas cards that makes us feel good inside. When we open the mail and discover that someone has taken the time to mail us a card, we take it to heart that someone thought enough of us. This is largely due to the fact that Christmas cards are exclusive in nature. We send them to a limited list of people that have shared something special in our lives. God’s Christmas cards work a little differently. Check out Luke 2:8-20:

8 And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. 10 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. 12 And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, 14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. 15 And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us. 16 And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. 17 And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child. 18 And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds. 19 But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart. 20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.

God declares the news to everyone (v. 10)
Off the bat, we see that this good news is for everyone. What a convicting message! The Gospel of Christ is completely counter-culture. The world is exclusive in nature. Media tells us that you have to look, act, dress, eat and sleep like the celebrities if you are going to be on the A-list. But the Gospel was made for everyone. And as such, are we not challanged to bring that Gospel to everyone we encounter?

1 Samuel 16:7 describes God’s evaluation. As shocking as it sounds, he’s not concerned with exterior as much as He is with the heart. Likewise, we share this Good News with everyone, not just those who meet the requirements of our own A-lists.

God declares the Good News to the Shepherds first. (v. 8 )
Have you ever thought about that? The Shepherds were stinky people by nature (no pun intended). They lived a lifestyle where in stinky, homely looking was the norm. Yet God in His infinite wisdom elected to tell shepherds first, not kings. He often chooses the ordinary to do the extraordinary. In other words, chances are you are on the mailing list for His Christmas card.

God declares the Good News to overcome fear (v.10)
All too often, we filter everything around us to the point of paranoia. When Christ comes into a life, He is there to do permanent damage to that old self, filled with doubt. He’s there to bring a super-natural peace that transcends understanding (check out John 14:27). When you read the line about peace on His Christmas, understand that He intends on keeping His promise.

God declares the Good News to display His glory (v. 13-14)
Make no mistake about it, God loves you. He gave His son for you. But in the end, God’s glory comes out on top. On His Christmas card, He signs the name above all names. This season isn’t just about you!