Going Deeper

What if one of the greatest instruments God has given us to change our families, churches, and communities has been right in front of us all along? I'm talking about our tables. Throughout this series, we've explored four tables that shape the Christian life: the Table of Hope, the Table of Identity, the Table of Authenticity, and the Table of Hospitality. But I want to return to the Lord's Table because I believe Jesus gives us a pattern for how He forms us and how He intend

We all have memories of the good old days. Seasons when life seemed simpler, opportunities were plentiful, or everything felt a little more certain. But what happens when the good old days weren't actually good? What happens when your past is filled with disappointment, loss, or regret? Here's what I want you to remember: God is not only the God of the good old days. He is the God of good new days. As Stonecreek celebrates 60 years of God's faithfulness, we have every reason

What if the greatest impact we make isn't through something extraordinary, but through something as simple as kindness? As Stonecreek Church celebrates 60 years of God's faithfulness, Pastor Ricky sat down with our founding pastor, Dick Foth, for a special conversation about the power of relationships, the importance of hospitality, and the kind of legacy we want to leave for generations to come. Dick has spent decades walking alongside people from all walks of life, from col

Several hundred years ago, in Florence, Italy, there was an enormous slab of marble that had been abandoned by artists who believed it was unusable. The stone had imperfections, cracks, and problems that made it difficult to work with. For decades, it sat there because nobody believed anything worthwhile could come from it. Then a young artist named Michelangelo came along. He studied the stone, saw something that others couldn't see, and began the painstaking process of carv

I've been thinking about the table for over a year now. And the more I've thought about it, the more convinced I've become that this could be one of the most important series I've ever prepared for. We live in a society that's becoming increasingly isolated, fragmented, shallow, superficial, and divided. I believe God is calling us to rediscover something we've overlooked for far too long: the power of the table. Someone once asked a theologian if he could summarize the Bible

There is always renewal before there is revival. Before God brings transformation through us, He wants to bring transformation in us. Before there is national revival, community revival, or revival in the people around us, there is a moment of personal renewal. We see this clearly in the life of Isaiah. A couple in our church, Cliff and Izzy, have been married for nearly sixty years. Before their wedding, they decided to take dance lessons because, between the two of them, th

Driving through Central Illinois, my kids were amazed by everything they saw—cornfields, cows, tractors, farming. I'm from the city, so they would point at a tractor and ask me what it was doing, and I'd confidently tell them, “They're harvesting.” I think. I don't know much about agriculture, but fortunately for me, the Bible uses it a lot. In Luke 22, Jesus uses an agricultural picture to describe a season every one of us will experience at some point in our lives. He tells

Walt Bettinger, the longtime CEO of Charles Schwab, developed an interesting way of interviewing people for high-level positions. He called it the “wrong order test.” Near the end of the interview process, he would invite a candidate to breakfast. But before they arrived, he would get there early and ask the restaurant staff to intentionally get the person's order wrong—not just once, but multiple times. Why? Because a résumé could tell him what someone had accomplished, but

Years ago, I was at a pastors conference in Long Beach, California. One of the speakers was Pastor Choco De Jesús, a pastor from Chicago who had become internationally known. About fifteen minutes before he was supposed to speak, I noticed him standing outside the auditorium talking with people. There was a green room available to him, so I walked over and asked him why he was out there instead of preparing backstage. He told me something I've never forgotten. “In all my spea

During my sabbatical, I had the distinct honor and privilege of driving from Minnesota to Georgia while my family got to fly. I actually enjoy a good road trip. I like the quiet, the time to think, listen, and especially pray. Somewhere in Georgia, I felt a prompting from the Holy Spirit to begin praying about a season of breakthrough—a season where some things that have gone on longer than they should finally begin to turn. I couldn't shake that thought. Maybe you've been in