Author: Bob Stone

Thoughts on stewardship.

Peter Marshall has described 20th century Christians in the following words. "They are like deep sea divers, encased in suits for many fathoms deep, marching bravely forth to pull plugs out of bathtubs."

Howard Hendricks translates that by saying, "when we read the pages of the New Testament and try to relate what we hear to the contemporary church, we are compelled to conclude that the relationship is sometimes more one of contrast, rather than of comparison." In other words, today's church is not living up to its potential.

Part of a series in Matthew 8 & 9

Let's look at Matthew 7:28 together:

"When Jesus had finished saying these things the crowds were amazed at His teaching because He taught as one who had authority not as the teachers of the law."

How can our lives become more fruitful?

Bob Stone's First Sermon at Hillcrest Chapel, September 1977
Reprised for 25th anniversary, September 1, 2002

Our mission statement captures in two sentences Hillcrest's long-held values and philosophy of ministry. "Hillcrest Chapel is to be a dynamic force of people (body of believers) filled with God's Spirit, meeting people's needs in Jesus' name. This will be accomplished by enjoying God's presence through a lifestyle of worship; by being equipped for service; by encouraging healing fellowship through love, acceptance, forgiveness, and belonging; and by being enlisted and sent out as salt and light to the Bellingham area and to the world."

The following is an acrostic which helps to summarize our strategy and calling. Fourteen things make Hillcrest different/unique. Presenting our Hillcrest Force Acrostic:

by Pastor Jim Murphy
November 4, 2001

As Hillcrest Chapel "does all things to win some, and to leave a legacy for the next generation," some who we hope to win live on the other side of the world. This includes the Uygur ("we-gur") people group of Northwest China and Central Asia, in which we have had a special interest since 1990. This sermon is written in the form of a first person narrative, and is a fictional account of how a Uygur man became a follower of Jesus Christ. For security purposes, the names in the sermon are false, but all the events and statements are true representations of what this man's experience could be like.