If You Love Me...

Put These Words Into Practice - November 26, 2023

November 27, 2023 • Cody Zimmerman • Matthew 7:21–29, James 1:22–25, John 14:15, 1 John 2:3–6

We have spent nearly a year digging into the commands of Jesus found throughout the Bible. As the year draws to a close and our celebration of Advent begins next week, Cody closes out the commands series by reading the end of the Sermon on the Mount. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus lays out a multitude of practical ways that he expects his followers to implement their faith and submission to him in the everyday facets of their lives. The commands of Christ that we have been studying all year are the same, and the concluding words of Jesus at the end of the sermon on the mount are just as poignant for us today as they were for their original audience: "Take these words of mine and put them into practice." This is a full service video from our 2023 sermon series titled, "If You Love Me". For an audio recording of only the sermon, check out our "podcasts" series within the White Stone App, or go to the White Stone Church audio messages podcast on your podcast app of choice.

Go and Do Likewise - November 19, 2023

November 20, 2023 • Brock Tharpe • Luke 10:25–37

The story of the Good Samaritan is one of the most well-known and most frequently-taught of Jesus's parables. But one recurring problem in the historic church is that we often read stories like it in the Bible with the wrong perspective. We put ourselves into the shoes of the wrong character. We like to identify with the heroes in the stories, but more often than not, we are represented by a different character. In this sermon, Brock breaks down the Parable of the Good Samaritan, and asks where we fit in the story. Only after answering that question can we truly understand Jesus's command at the end to "Go and do likewise." This is a full service video from our 2023 sermon series titled, "If You Love Me". For an audio recording of only the sermon, check out our "podcasts" series within the White Stone App, or go to the White Stone Church audio messages podcast on your podcast app of choice.

I am the Bread of Life - November 12, 2023

November 13, 2023 • Colby Dorcely • John 6:25–40

In the Gospel of John, Jesus makes 7 statements about his own identity throughout the narrative of the book. The first of these statements is "I am the bread from Heaven." Implicit in this statement are several commands for how we as followers of Jesus should structure and prioritize our lives. We live in a world full of things that promise to satisfy us, but Jesus claims that he alone will bring true nourishment to our souls. This week, Colby teaches how we can reorient ourselves to pursue Jesus, and make him our primary desire in our lives. This is a full service video from our 2023 sermon series titled, "If You Love Me". For an audio recording of only the sermon, check out our "podcasts" series within the White Stone App, or go to the White Stone Church audio messages podcast on your podcast app of choice.

Turn and Become Like Children - November 5, 2023

November 6, 2023 • Brock Tharpe • Matthew 18:1–4, Job 38

In Matthew 18 Jesus tells his disciples, "Unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven." In the time we are living in, many of us are addicted to two things: information and domination. We want to know everything, and we want to control everything. More often than not, this desire to know and control everything, keeps us from finding joy in anything. And yet, Jesus calls us to a life of surrender, trust, and faith. In this message, Brock breaks down what it practically looks like to become more childlike in our faith, by focusing on three things that children typically get right that adults get wrong: Control, Honesty, and Wonder. This is a full service video from our 2023 sermon series titled, "If You Love Me". For an audio recording of only the sermon, check out our "podcasts" series within the White Stone App, or go to the White Stone Church audio messages podcast on your podcast app of choice.

Beware of Practicing Your Righteousness to be Seen By Others - October 29, 2023

October 30, 2023 • Cody Zimmerman • Matthew 6:1–18, Acts 5:1–11

The beginning of the fifth chapter of Acts is a strange and terrifying story. Several landowning members of the church had been stirred to show extravagant generosity, and many sold their land and gave the proceeds to the church. In keeping with the trend, Ananias and Sapphira, a married couple in the early church, sold their land as well. But there was one important difference; they decided to pocket some of the money for themselves, while acting like they were giving the whole amount to the church. This resulted in both of them being struck down by God immediately. Why would God deal with them so drastically and swiftly? In Matthew Chapter 6, Jesus warns his followers about practicing righteous acts in order to be seen by others. Clearly it is of the utmost importance to God that his Church be made up of people who are not putting on a show to impress others. Rather, our public actions should match up with our inner reality. In this message, Cody digs into what it means to be hypocritical, and how we can rage against that tendency in our own hearts. This is a full service video from our 2023 sermon series titled, "If You Love Me". For an audio recording of only the sermon, check out our "podcasts" series within the White Stone App, or go to the White Stone Church audio messages podcast on your podcast app of choice.

Fear Not - October 22, 2023

October 23, 2023 • Brock Tharpe • Matthew 10:26–33

In Matthew 10, just before Jesus sends out the 12 Apostles into a world that was openly hostile to them, he tells them to “Fear Not.” But telling someone to stop being afraid doesn’t do anything to make them more courageous. How were the disciples to go about not being afraid? What reason did they have to be courageous? In this message, Brock reminds us that to understand scripture fully, we have to take context into account, and avoid reducing the Bible down to sound bites and bumper stickers. As it turns out, when we look at Jesus’s command to “fear not” in context, he gives us all of the tools we need to take courage in a world that is often hostile to us and the Kingdom of God. “Whatever God has called you to do, he will empower you for.” This is a full service video from our 2023 sermon series titled, "If You Love Me". For an audio recording of only the sermon, check out our "podcasts" series within the White Stone App, or go to the White Stone Church audio messages podcast on your podcast app of choice.

Take Heart - October 15, 2023

October 16, 2023 • Colby Dorcely • John 16:33, Job 1

No matter who you are or where you live, suffering and hardship are universal. All of us have come face to face with suffering, and as long as we are here on this earth, we will continue to. As Jesus said, “In this world, you will have trouble.” But why would an all powerful and loving God allow his own children to suffer? By looking through the book of Job, as well as the rest of the Bible, Colby unwraps the meaning and purpose behind our suffering, and the fact that God is sovereign through all of it. By putting our trust in God’s sovereignty, and surrendering to his plan, we are able to do what Jesus commanded; we are able to take heart and have peace. This is a full service video from our 2023 sermon series titled, "If You Love Me". For an audio recording of only the sermon, check out our "podcasts" series within the White Stone App, or go to the White Stone Church audio messages podcast on your podcast app of choice. In John 14:15, Jesus told his disciples, "If you love me, keep my commandments." Clearly, Jesus's love language is obedience, but sadly, many Christ followers are unfamiliar with most of the commands that Jesus explicitly gave his disciples. Because of that, we have decided to devote all of 2023 to digging into the commands of Christ, and how we can put them into practice in our daily lives.

Protect That Which is Holy - October 8, 2023

October 9, 2023 • Brock Tharpe • Matthew 7:6, Mark 10:46–52

Brock shares his take on Jesus’s command to “not cast your pearls before pigs, or give to dogs what is holy.” We often let the world dictate how we ought to identify and value ourselves, rather than allowing ourselves to be identified by Jesus and his finished work on the cross. Our Identity, how we see ourselves, is sacred and is worth defending. Just like in the story of the blind beggar, Bartimaeus, we have to humble ourselves and come to Jesus, allowing him to ask us, ‘what do you want me to do for you?” This is a full service video from our 2023 sermon series titled, "If You Love Me". For an audio recording of only the sermon, check out our "podcasts" series within the White Stone App, or go to the White Stone Church audio messages podcast on your podcast app of choice. In John 14:15, Jesus told his disciples, "If you love me, keep my commandments." Clearly, Jesus's love language is obedience, but sadly, many Christ followers are unfamiliar with most of the commands that Jesus explicitly gave his disciples. Because of that, we have decided to devote all of 2023 to digging into the commands of Christ, and how we can put them into practice in our daily lives.

Seek First the Kingdom - September 24, 2023

September 25, 2023 • Brock Tharpe • Matthew 6:33

In this message, Brock talks about Jesus’s command to “seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these other things will be added to you.” Brock discusses how many of us live our lives like we know better than Jesus about what is best for us. True life, growth, and peace only come in submission to Jesus and his way. This is a full service video from our 2023 sermon series titled, "If You Love Me". For an audio recording of only the sermon, check out our "podcasts" series within the White Stone App, or go to the White Stone Church audio messages podcast on your podcast app of choice. In John 14:15, Jesus told his disciples, "If you love me, keep my commandments." Clearly, Jesus's love language is obedience, but sadly, many Christ followers are unfamiliar with most of the commands that Jesus explicitly gave his disciples. Because of that, we have decided to devote all of 2023 to digging into the commands of Christ, and how we can put them into practice in our daily lives.

Ask, Seek, & Knock - September 17, 2023

September 18, 2023 • Cody Zimmerman • Matthew 7:7–11, Philippians 4:6–7, Mark 14:32–36

In this sermon from our series on the commands of Christ, Cody digs into Jesus’s command to “ask, seek, and knock.” Although this is a command about prayer, it goes much deeper than that. Jesus is calling us to deeper relationship in prayer, and to a persistent rhythm of prayer. We also dig into how we can reconcile this passage with the reality of suffering and seemingly unanswered prayer in the world around us. Links to resources for more on this topic: https://a.co/d/c4zv0wg https://a.co/d/2hvcctf

Deny Yourself - Intention, Attention, & Drift - September 10, 2023

September 11, 2023 • Brock Tharpe • Luke 9:23–25

This is a full service video from our 2023 sermon series titled, "If You Love Me". For an audio recording of only the sermon, check out our "podcasts" series within the White Stone App, or go to the White Stone Church audio messages podcast on your podcast app of choice. In John 14:15, Jesus told his disciples, "If you love me, keep my commandments." Clearly, Jesus's love language is obedience, but sadly, many Christ followers are unfamiliar with most of the commands that Jesus explicitly gave his disciples. Because of that, we have decided to devote all of 2023 to digging into the commands of Christ, and how we can put them into practice in our daily lives.

Go and Make Disciples - September 3, 2023

September 4, 2023 • Matthew 28:18–20

This is a full service video from our 2023 sermon series titled, "If You Love Me". For an audio recording of only the sermon, check out our "podcasts" series within the White Stone App, or go to the White Stone Church audio messages podcast on your podcast app of choice. In John 14:15, Jesus told his disciples, "If you love me, keep my commandments." Clearly, Jesus's love language is obedience, but sadly, many Christ followers are unfamiliar with most of the commands that Jesus explicitly gave his disciples. Because of that, we have decided to devote all of 2023 to digging into the commands of Christ, and how we can put them into practice in our daily lives.

Pray For the Harvest - August 20, 2023

August 20, 2023 • Brock Tharpe • Matthew 9:35–38

This is a full service video from our 2023 sermon series titled, "If You Love Me". For an audio recording of only the sermon, check out our "podcasts" series within the White Stone App, or go to the White Stone Church audio messages podcast on your podcast app of choice. In John 14:15, Jesus told his disciples, "If you love me, keep my commandments." Clearly, Jesus's love language is obedience, but sadly, many Christ followers are unfamiliar with most of the commands that Jesus explicitly gave his disciples. Because of that, we have decided to devote all of 2023 to digging into the commands of Christ, and how we can put them into practice in our daily lives.

Do Not Lust - August 13, 2023

August 13, 2023 • Colby Dorcely • Matthew 5:27–30, Romans 7:7–12

This is a full service video from our 2023 sermon series titled, "If You Love Me". For an audio recording of only the sermon, check out our "podcasts" series within the White Stone App, or go to the White Stone Church audio messages podcast on your podcast app of choice. In John 14:15, Jesus told his disciples, "If you love me, keep my commandments." Clearly, Jesus's love language is obedience, but sadly, many Christ followers are unfamiliar with most of the commands that Jesus explicitly gave his disciples. Because of that, we have decided to devote all of 2023 to digging into the commands of Christ, and how we can put them into practice in our daily lives.

Do Not Lay Up Treasures On Earth - May 28th 2023

May 28, 2023 • Cody Zimmerman • Matthew 6:19–23, Jeremiah 2:5–13

This is a full service video from our 2023 sermon series titled, "If You Love Me". For an audio recording of only the sermon, check out our "podcasts" series within the White Stone App, or go to the White Stone Church audio messages podcast on your podcast app of choice. In John 14:15, Jesus told his disciples, "If you love me, keep my commandments." Clearly, Jesus's love language is obedience, but sadly, many Christ followers are unfamiliar with most of the commands that Jesus explicitly gave his disciples. Because of that, we have decided to devote all of 2023 to digging into the commands of Christ, and how we can put them into practice in our daily lives.

White Stone Church

The Commands of Christ