White Stone Church - Audio Messages

Paul's message to the people of Athens on the Areopagus is one of the most effective presentations of the gospel to a non-christian audience in all of scripture. Just as Paul encountered a city full of false gods in Athens, we too are surrounded by subtle idols competing for our devotion. These may not be physical statues, but could be anything from material success to relationships, social media, or even our own appearance. The message reminds us that true fulfillment comes only from seeking the one living God, not these modern-day idols. We're called to recognize our idolatry, repent, and turn continuously to the Creator who gives us life and sustains us. This journey of faith invites us to be genuinely broken rather than falsely happy, encouraging authenticity in our spiritual walk. As we reflect on our own lives, we're prompted to identify our personal idols and recommit ourselves to the God who defeated death through Christ's resurrection.

In this powerful exploration of 1 Corinthians 13, we're invited to see love not just as an action, but as a person embodied in Jesus Christ. The passage, often read at weddings, takes on new depth when we understand 'agape' as more than a verb - it's a noun, a name for God's unconditional love. This shift in perspective transforms how we approach the famous 'love is patient, love is kind' verses. Instead of a checklist for behavior, we're given a portrait of Christ's nature. As we gaze upon this portrait, allowing each brushstroke to speak to us, we're reminded of Jesus' patience, kindness, and unwavering belief in us. This understanding challenges us to let Christ's love wash over us, transforming us from the inside out. It's a powerful reminder that to love others well, we must first allow ourselves to be loved well by Jesus.

On this Easter Sunday, we're challenged to confront a sobering truth: knowing isn't enough. The parable of the rich man and Lazarus serves as a powerful reminder that our spiritual lives aren't defined by what we know, but by how we live. Like the rich man who called Abraham 'Father' yet neglected Lazarus at his gate, many of us claim faith but fail to act on it. This isn't a problem of ignorance, but of indifference. We know the stories, we can recite the verses, but do we allow them to transform our hearts and actions? Jesus' words echo through time, warning us that even witnessing a resurrection may not be enough to convince those who refuse to listen. As we celebrate Christ's triumph over death, let's examine our own lives. Are we merely hearers of the Word, or are we doers? The great chasm described in the parable isn't just a future reality - it's a warning for today. While there's still time, let's bridge the gap between our knowledge and our actions, embracing the living water Christ offers freely.

In 1 Peter 2:9-10, we're reminded of our extraordinary identity in Christ. As believers, we're not just individuals, but part of a 'chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation.' This isn't about ethnic superiority, but about our spiritual adoption into God's family. We're called out of darkness into His marvelous light, given a new purpose and identity. This transformation isn't just personal—it's communal. We're part of something bigger, a worldwide family of believers. But with this privilege comes responsibility. We're called to 'proclaim the excellencies' of God, not just in words, but in how we live. Our conduct, our relationships, our response to authority—all of these should reflect the change Christ has made in us. As we embrace this identity, we're challenged to live differently, to be 'aliens and strangers' in this world, not conforming but transforming our surroundings with God's love.

One of the cornerstones of Christian thinking is the idea of justification by faith alone. We find it all throughout Paul's writings; to have right standing with God doesn't come by way of our own religious performance, but instead is given to us as a result of faith. But what exactly is faith? It's not mere wishful thinking or blind optimism, but a confident trust grounded in the historical reality of Christ's death, burial, and resurrection. We're reminded that faith is both rational and relational - it's based on evidence, yet it draws us into a dynamic relationship with God. As we reflect on Hebrews 11:1, we're encouraged to see faith as 'the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.' This faith empowers us to live differently, just as it did for the heroes of faith mentioned in Hebrews. In this message, Colby invites us to consider: are we truly living by faith, or are we still relying on our own strength and sight?

The Psalms are the most-quoted book of the Bible, and the first Psalm serves as an introduction to all of the rich worship and poetry to follow. This foundational psalm sets the tone for the entire book, rich in both theology and practicality. We're challenged to examine our own lives and choices, as the psalm vividly contrasts the blessed person who delights in God's law with those who follow worldly counsel. The imagery of a fruitful tree planted by streams of water beautifully illustrates the stability and prosperity of those who meditate on God's Word. However, the true revelation comes when we realize that Jesus Christ himself is the ultimate fulfillment of this 'blessed man.' His perfect obedience and righteousness are credited to us through faith, offering a profound understanding of grace. In this message, Colby encourages us to avoid worldly wisdom, actively seek Jesus - the living Word, and allow our minds to be transformed through consistent meditation on Scripture. As we embrace this narrow but life-giving path, we're reminded that our acceptance by God is based not on our performance, but on Christ's perfect obedience.

"I can do all things through Him who strengthens me." Philippians 4:13 is often used as motivational tool for achieving greatness. For that reason it is often used by athletes as part of their pre-game rituals. But when you look at it in context, it's revealed to be much more about contentment through Christ's presence than it is about supernatural abilities. The apostle Paul's secret to being content in any circumstance can be distilled down to this— 'With Christ through this.' In this message, Brock reminds us that Jesus, described as 'relaxed' by theologian Dallas Willard, offers us His sustaining power in all circumstances. This message invites us to spend time with the 'relaxed one,' allowing His peace to permeate our often anxious lives. It's a call to trust in God's control, even when we feel powerless, and to find strength in His presence regardless of our situation.

If Christianity had a calling card or catchphrase, John 3:16 would be it. It's the most condensed and impactful presentation of the gospel message that we have in our collective vocabulary, and because of that it has been plastered and printed on everything from athletes' eye black to fast food drink cups. But is it possible that our familiarity with this incredible verse has actually turned into unfamiliarity?By doing a deep dive on three key words that the apostle John uses, Cody invites us to rediscover the beauty of John 3:16, and learn that the verse doesn't mean something different than we originally thought, but it does mean so much more.

The first line of Psalm 46:10 is printed on more knick-knacks and trinkets than any other verse in the Bible. You'll see it in its signature flowing script font on coffee mugs, wind chimes, greeting cards, nightlights and more. But rather than a call to mere stillness for stillness's sake, this verse emerges as a beacon of hope amidst a backdrop of chaos and upheaval. The psalm paints a vivid picture of a world in turmoil - nations raging, kingdoms tottering, and the earth itself melting. Yet it's precisely in these moments of crisis that God's voice rings out, reminding us of His sovereignty and presence. In this message Brock challenges us to find our stillness not in the absence of storms, but in the eye of them, anchored to the unshakeable truth of who God is. As we navigate our own turbulent times, we're encouraged to tap into the life-giving river flowing from God's throne - a source of renewal, purification, and hope that remains constant regardless of our circumstances. This fresh perspective on a familiar verse invites us to deepen our faith, finding peace not in our surroundings, but in our unwavering connection to God.

This week, our journey through the most-Googled Bible verses takes us to one of the most quoted (and most misquoted) verses in the entire text: Romans 8:28. In this message, Colby dives deep into the promise that "all things work together for good for those who love God." This verse isn't just a comforting platitude; it's a profound declaration of God's sovereignty and love. We're challenged to view our trials and tribulations through a new lens, understanding that even our darkest moments are being woven into a greater tapestry of good. The sermon draws parallels to Joseph's story in Genesis, reminding us that what others may intend for evil, God can use for good. This message invites us to trust in God's ultimate plan, even when we can't see the full picture. It's a call to persevere through hardship, knowing that our suffering is not in vain, but rather a part of our journey towards becoming more like Christ.

We kick off our new series, “Popular,” a series exploring the most-searched Bible verses, by digging into Jeremiah 29:11 in its original context. Although it's one of the most oft-quoted verses in the entire Bible, most people don't know that Jeremiah 29:11 is the central part of a letter, written in the most dire of circumstances. In this message, Brock challenges us to face our present reality, no matter how difficult, rather than living in nostalgia or false hope. We learn that 'denial delays delight' - only by accepting our circumstances can we truly experience joy and beauty again. The Jewish exiles in Babylon received this promise in the midst of their deepest pain, reminding us that God's promises often sound sweetest when we're hurting most. This message encourages us to keep 'singing our songs' even in times of exile or suffering, as our worship in difficult times may be especially precious to God. It's a call to resilience, faith, and finding beauty even in our darkest moments.

As we round out the season of Advent, Brock turns our attention to three lesser-known names for Jesus. First, we encounter Jesus as the 'Living Stone.' Imagery from 1 Peter 2 reminds us that our faith is built on a living, dynamic foundation - not a cold, lifeless idol. Next, we're introduced to Jesus as the 'Living Word,' drawing parallels between the Bible as our 'letter from home' and Jesus as the embodiment of God's message to us. This perspective encourages us to seek nourishment and strength in both Scripture and in Christ's presence. Finally, we're shown Jesus as our 'Great High Priest,' using the analogy of free postage for soldiers' letters home. This powerful metaphor, rooted in Hebrews 4, illustrates how Christ's sacrifice has opened direct communication between us and God. As we reflect on these names, we're challenged to deepen our personal relationship with Jesus, moving beyond talking about God to actually talking with Him.

In this powerful exploration of Jesus as the Christ, we delve into the profound meaning behind this title. The sermon takes us on a journey through Scripture, from Peter's bold declaration in Matthew 16 to the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies. We're challenged to consider: what does it truly mean to proclaim Jesus as the Christ? It's not just a name, but a declaration of His identity as the long-awaited Messiah, the Anointed One, and the eternal King. This message invites us to move beyond intellectual understanding to a heart-level encounter with Jesus. Just as Peter's faith evolved, we too are called to grow in our understanding and surrender to Christ. The sermon reminds us that believing Jesus is the Christ isn't a one-time event, but a lifelong journey of discovery and deepening faith.

The iconic account of Jesus' birth in Luke 2 opens with the words, "In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered." It is not by accident that from the very beginning of the Gospel story, Luke sets up Jesus and Caesar as polar opposites as one another in his gospel. In those days, Caesar Augustus was referred to as the "son of god" throughout the entire Roman empire in reference to his father, Julius Caesar. Also, Augustus was worshipped as the king who had brought peace and prosperity to the entire world.The subversive truth about Jesus is that we all are left with a choice: is Jesus Lord, or is Caesar? Is Jesus the Son of God, or is Caesar? In this first message of the advent season, Brock reminds us of the Lordship of Jesus, and that there is no other name under heaven by which we can be saved.Listen to our Advent Theme for this season, "No Name" by Red Rocks Worship, here

There's a bit of a grind to the Christian walk that doesn't get talked about all too often. Oftentimes, a real faith isn't so much about knowing the right things as it is about a willingness to continue to walk the narrow road even when we don't feel like it. We are called to keep walking even when we are wounded, even when we are anxious, and even when we are tired. The book of Isaiah was written to a people in ruins. They were beaten down, they were hopeless, and they were exhausted. They felt like they were far from home, and like God had forgotten about them and their pain. They were in despair.The pain and the pressure we feel from living in the world will get to you sometimes. It will leave you tired; and not in the sense that you are tired after a long day of work, but deeply, emotionally, and spiritually exhausted. In this message Colby digs into the reminders and promises of Isaiah 40, which are just as applicable to us as they were to the people they were originally written to— promises of renewed strength and hope for those who wait on God; promises that God still sees you, and God still cares.

"Anxiety" has been a buzzword in our culture for quite some time now, and it doesn't seem to be going away any time soon. It's no secret that we are experiencing an epidemic of anxiety, depression, and despair in our time. One of the hard things about anxiety and depression is that there are no easy answers for it. There is no three step process to fix it; there is no easy way out of it. But in spite of that, there is one thing that is abundantly clear: if you read the scriptures you'll realize that anxiety is not a new. People have struggled with it going all the way back to the beginning, and if you do struggle with anxiety, you are not alone.In this message, Brock opens up and vulnerably addresses anxiety in his own life, and rather than giving a quick fix for anxiety, he points us to the hope and peace available to us in and during our anxiety.

As we've gone through the seven spiritual gifts that Paul lists in Romans 12, one thing that has become clear is that the gifts are not intended to box people into one or two particular areas of service. In other words, just because you are gifted in one area, doesn't mean that you don't have to do the activities associated with the other areas of giftedness. We are all called to prophesy, some of us are just spiritually gifted at it. We are all called to serve, some of us are just spiritually gifted at it. It goes on down the list.The same thing is true of giving. We are all called to give and to be generous. Some of us are just supernaturally gifted at it. In this message, Cody lays out what the New and Old Testaments say about what role giving should play in the life of a follower of Jesus, and lays out traits that mark people who have been supernaturally gifted by the Holy Spirit to give and empower the church.

One of the deadliest poisons spreading through the Church right now is the pursuit of vain glory— the subtle temptation to proclaim the gospel and make a name for ourselves at the same time. There's this idea that many of us have, especially in the American church: we blur the lines between submission and ambition. But the reality is that it is impossible to magnify Jesus and promote yourself at the same time. As Christians, we are called to a life of service, not to a life of greatness. This is true for every single one of us. Yet, there are some of us whom God has gifted with a supernatural, spiritual gift of service. Some of us don't only have the ability and responsibility to serve, but we also are energized, filled up, and fulfilled when we serve. What an incredible and necessary gift that is! In this message, Brock explores the spiritual gift of service from Romans 12, and also calls us all away from celebrity Christian culture and back toward simple, consistent discipleship.

Of all the spiritual gifts listed in the Bible, the gift of prophecy may be the most misunderstood. People often think that to be a prophet means to be able to predict the future or interpret dreams, and while that is certainly something that prophets have done— especially in the old testament, those behaviors are only a small part of the picture when it comes to what it means to prophesy.In this message, Colby clears the air about what the gift of prophecy looks like in our modern age, by examining what prophets did in the old and new testaments, and drawing similarities and differences between them.

It is our sincere belief that God has gifted you in a particular and unique way for the advancement of His kingdom and the building up of His Church. Because of that, we are so excited to be launching into a new series for the next seven weeks exploring the seven spiritual gifts listed in Romans 12, and it is our hope that through this series you can hone in on what your gift might be, and that you would be able to put it to use. In this message, Brock sets up the rest of the series by reminding us that comparing ourselves to others is the enemy of contribution; that one of our primary functions as the church is to equip one another to do the work that God has made us for; and that for us to truly live, we must die to ourselves daily.

When God gave the command to observe the Sabbath to ancient Israel, the world was very different. The ancient Hebrews, like many other people groups of the time, lived off of what the land produced. And it was into that context that God gave the almost-crazy command of the Sabbath year: every seventh year, they were to let the soil rest for one entire year. That concept was crazy then, and it's crazy now. More and more our society is becoming season-less. We don't structure our days and weeks around what the land is producing, and we live our lives in a similar way. We often place the expectation on ourselves that we ought to always be producing, without any seasons of rest. What is there to learn about the rhythm of our lives, as well as how we are to do ministry as the church, from ancient Israel's rhythm of Sabbath?In this message, Cody explores these things, and also casts vision toward the future of discipleship at White Stone.

In 1954, Roger Bannister was the first person to run a mile in under four minutes. Before that, the most widely held belief was that it was impossible for a human to run a mile in under four minutes. But after Bannister crossed that threshold, what was impossible was suddenly possible. What is interesting, though, is that while Bannister was the first to run a sub-four minute mile in 1954, since then almost 2,000 people have done it as well—presumably because once they saw that it was possible, the mentality surrounding the feat changed. We've covered that a large part of 1 John is about restoring the church's confidence. Like the church John was writing to, many of us approach life with a "grasshopper mentality"— one that says that our obstacles are like giants and we are like grasshoppers. But since we have watched Jesus overcome the world, that should change our perspective on what is possible, and empower us to step into the calling he has for us.

We have all experienced failure— both we've experienced it firsthand, and we've also watched those we love and respect take a fall. And experiencing a fall can leave you questioning everything. A huge part of the backdrop for the book of 1 John is that it is written to a church that has just been through a massive split. People who they called brothers and sisters, people they looked up to, people that they believed had an unshakeable faith had turned their backs on them. They had experienced a fall. And so John dedicates quite a bit of his time in the book to rebuilding their confidence in their calling.In this message, Cody outlines two principles that John gives us for regaining confidence after a crash. We look back to our past, and we look forward to our purpose.

If you had to describe God in one word, what would it be?There are four direct “God is…” statements in the Bible; Direct and explicit declarations of God's character. 1 John 1:5 tells us that “God is Light.” In Hebrews 12:29 we are told that God is “an all consuming fire.” In chapter 4 of the Gospel of John, Jesus tells us that “God is Spirit.” And lastly, in 1 John chapter 4, we learn that “God is love.”These are four different aspects of God's character and his nature. In many ways, God is like a kaleidoscope. And when you turn the kaleidoscope and you look at it from different angles, you see different colors, different shapes, different forms of beauty. What is truly incredible, though, is that while the Biblical authors over the course of human history have had true encounters with God and have experienced aspects of His character, we find the full expression of what God is like in the person of Jesus.

As we step across the threshold into the fourth chapter of 1 John, we are greeted with a warning: "Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God."John originally wrote this letter for multiple reasons. One of them was to combat distortions of the gospel that were rising up in the early churches of his day. His advice to the church then is just as relevant to us today: just because something feels spiritual, doesn't mean it is from God. As followers of Jesus, we should make it a practice to test the teachings we hear against the Word of God: Jesus himself; as well as against the overarching story we see unfolding in scripture.

It all boils down to this: that we love one another, and that we believe in the name of Jesus. We've talked a lot about what it means to love one another, but what does it mean to "believe in the name" of Jesus? What is the difference between believing in the person, and believing in his name?Since Moses met God at the burning bush, God has been very intentional in telling his people how they ought to address Him. It was there at the burning bush that God introduced himself as the "I AM." Yahweh. And there is quite a bit of meaning and weight that is to be found in that name. Believing in the name of God is essentially believing what He says about himself. It is the same way with the name of Jesus. There is so much significance God choosing that particular name for the Son he sent to rescue his people. In this message we explore the depths of what God is communicating to his people about himself through His name, and through the powerful and beautiful name of Jesus.

The need for true community among believers is at the very core of God's plan to redeem His whole creation, and we find that idea at the heart of the book of 1 John. The author tells us that the message he is giving is the same one we have heard from the beginning, “that we should love one another.” But what does that actually look like practically?One thing many of us get wrong in a highly individualistic society like ours, is we assume that the salvation we have received through Jesus is a solely individual thing. But salvation is not only individual, but also communal. God didn't just save us from something, but also for something. In this message, Colby gives practical advice on how the church can grow deeper in community and love for one another in an age and culture that is hell bent on isolating and tearing us apart.

Becoming a christian is easy. Being a christian is hard. Having an encounter that changes you is easy. Walking the narrow road is hard.One way the author of First John describes Christ-followers is as people who "practice" righteousness. That's an interesting way to describe our faith, and an interesting way to describe sanctification. We are to "practice" righteousness. We don't use that word "practice" a lot in Christian circles; but maybe we should, as long as we're talking about it in terms of post-Jesus and not pre-Jesus. Because when we use that word practice, all we're saying is that we're trying to get better at something.It is definitely true that practicing good works cannot make you a christian. We are saved by grace alone, through faith alone. But practicing good works can make you a better christian, and that is what discipleship and formation is all about.We want to improve, plain and simple. And how incredible it is that we can actually practice our faith, and that it can become richer and deeper with time.