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For the Welfare of the City: a Sermon on Jeremiah 29

9/20/2022

Jeremiah 29:1-14 (Click to Read)
Preacher: Terence Chandra

This marks the first in a sermon series on the vision statement of Stone Church: The Heart of Christ in the Heart of the City. To kick off this preaching series, we'll be taking a closer look at Jeremiah 29:1-14. This excerpt from the Book of the Prophet Jeremiah is actually a letter to the Jews living in exile in the land of Babylon. Jeremiah informs his audience that, unfortunately, they'll be in exile in Babylon for a long time. However, he also tells him that God has a purpose for them while in Babylon. That purpose is to seek the welfare of the city to which they've been sent. It could easily be argued that, just as the Jews were sent as exiles to the land of Babylon, so too have the people of the church been sent into cultural exile here in the west. Needless to say, what Jeremiah says about God's will for the Jews in Babylon can teach us a lot about God's will for the church in the west.

June 26, 2022 - ELIJAH ASCENDS TO HEAVEN and is SUCCEEDED by Elisha: A Sermon on 2 Kings 2:1-11

7/20/2022

2 Kings2:1-11 (Click to Read)
Preacher: Terence Chandra

Justification, Sanctification and the Woman Caught in Adultery: a Bible Study on John 8:2-11

5/13/2022

JOhn 8:2-11 (Click to Read)
Teacher: Terence Chandra

It may come as a surprise to some that one of the most beloved stories in the Bible (the story of Jesus and the adulterous woman) cannot be found in the earliest manuscripts of John's Gospel. In fact, in most translations of the Bible, there is a textual notation written in the margins attesting to this fact. (Just look up the story in John 8:2-11 of your Bible and you'll see for yourself). However, there is good reason to believe that the story of the adulterous woman DOES date back to the time of Jesus. First, there are signs that the story was based on eyewitness testimony. Secondly, there are a couple of early Christian authors whose writings betray a knowledge of this story even though it did not appear in any gospel manuscripts of their time. For these reasons, many are content to view this story as canon. More importantly, though, this story beautifully communicates the mercy and compassion that dwells in the heart of the Saviour. It also has a lot to teach us about the theological concepts of justification and sanctification. Like all forgiven sinners, the woman in this story has been justified (that is, declared innocent in God's court of law). However, she is also sent off by Jesus to be sanctified (that is, to grow in holiness and love).

April 24, 2022 - Why Should Thomas have believed? A sermon on John 20:19-31

4/25/2022

John 20:19-31 (Click to Read)
Preacher: Terence Chandra

Why Believe in the Resurrection of Christ? Belief in the resurrection of Christ is the central event of the Christian story- the ground and basis for our hope. But why do we believe it? The answer to that question is found, among other places, in the story of Jesus' appearance to Thomas in the upper room. This is the passage of scripture we'll be looking at in this sermon.

April 17, 2022 - Meditations on an Easter Tomb: an Easter Sermon

4/23/2022

John 20:1-18 (Click to Read)
Preacher: Jasmine Chandra

An empty tomb, a missing body, a weeping woman: These are all well known features of the Easter Story. In this sermon, Jasmine takes a deeper look into the darkness of that tomb and into the deeper hope that lies beyond it.

I am the true vine: How a disciple bears fruit (a bible study on John 15:1-4)

4/5/2022

John 15:1-4 (Click to Read)
Teacher: Terence Chandra

I Am the True Vine: Remain in Me as I Remain in You In this, the last session of our Bible Study series on the I am sayings of John's Gospel, we'll be taking a closer look at Jesus' statement, "I am the true vine and my Father is the vine grower" (John 15:1) This teaching is a kind of mini parable, where Jesus uses ordinary things (vines, branches, farmers and fruit) to point to deeper, kingdom realities. If the vine grower is God and Jesus is the vine then, we, the disciples of Jesus are the branches that grow from the vine. The fruit, likewise, can be seen as the good works that we do: acts of self-sacrificial love that are proceed from a true and living faith. But how do we, as branches, remain grafted to the vine? How do we remain in Jesus as he remains in us? That's the chief question that we'll be exploring towards the end of this Bible Study.

April 3, 2022 - I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish: a sermon on Philippians 3:1-11

4/4/2022

Philippians 3:1-11 (Click to Read)
Preacher: Terence Chandra

I Have SUFFERED the Loss of ALL THINGS and Count them as RUBBISH: PAUL For most of his life, the Apostle Paul belonged to the sect of the Pharisees— a Jewish sect committed to obeying the law of Moses and all the teachings of the Jewish elders. Paul believed that, by showing extraordinary fidelity to the law, he would experience a right experience with God. However, Paul eventually found Christ (or, perhaps more accurately, Christ found him). And, when that happened, everything changed. The things he used to place his confidence in— his ethnic identity, circumcision, Torah obedience, etc.— he realized were useless. Only Christ matters. Therefore, going back to his old life as a Pharisee was unthinkable. That's part of what Paul means when, in his letter to the church in Philippi, he writes, "I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish" (Philippians 3:8). In this sermon, we dive deeper into this passage from Philippians 3, first examining the historical context and, eventually, its relevance to our lives as disciples of Jesus.

March 27, 2022 - The Prodigal Son: a sermon on Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32

4/3/2022

Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32 (Click to Read)
Preacher: Jasmine Chandra

March 20, 2022 - Deal with Your Own Mess First: On the Joy of Judging Others and Our Own Need to Repent

3/24/2022

Preacher: Terence Chandra
Luke 13:1-5 (Click to Read)

I am the wAY, THE tRUTH AND THE lIFE: a bIBLE sTUDY ON jOHN 14:5-7

3/11/2022

joHN 14:5-7 (cLICK TO rEAD)
tEACHER: tERENCE cHANDRA

John's Gospel goes into considerable detail concerning Jesus' final conversation with his disciples before his arrest, trial and crucifixion. During this conversation, Jesus informs his disciples that, soon, he will leave them, returning to the divine presence of his Father. The disciples are very confused by this. They expected the Messiah to raise up an army, drive out the pagans from Jerusalem and usher in an eternal era of righteousness and peace known as "the Kingdom of God." They did NOT, however, expect him to simply leave them before any of this takes place. Still, Jesus attempts to reassure his disciples by reminding them that they know the way to where he is going. However, still very much confused, Thomas asks Jesus, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” (John 14:5). In reply, Jesus says, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me" (John 14:6). What does Jesus mean by this statement? That's what we'll be exploring in this, part 8 of our Bible Study series on the I AM Sayings of John's Gospel.

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