Thanks for joining us today! Follow this link to a simple online "Connection Card" where you can let us know you were here and share any prayer concerns.

Bob Utley, "Chapter 10" From the series Matthew: The First Christian Primer. Bible.org

"The great question that reverberates down through the centuries of church history and which remains our primary challenge today: will the church live in such a way, by the grace of God, that the Creator is clearly seen and known and experienced through us? Or will we take His name in vain, and lead astray countless human beings into futile idolatry and destruction?" —Nick Nowalk, "The Indispensable Image: Is the Church Really Necessary?" The Harvard Ichthus, Fall 2013

Butler, Trent C. Editor. Entry for "Disciples" Holman Bible Dictionary, published by Broadman & Holman, 1991. StudyLight.org website.

This week's message title comes from A. B. Bruce's classic book The Training of the Twelve. You can access the entire book in pdf format at this link.

How well do you know the twelve disciples?

John Piper, "To the Jew First, and Also to the Greek"

"Organizational 'silos' is the term given to departments or ministries within a church that have a tendency to protect themselves, hoard and maintain resources for their own projects, and to place their own goals ahead of the larger vision of the church. Silos can happen in churches of all sizes and we need to keep an eye out for them at all times because they reduce our effectiveness as a ministry." Ron Birch, "6 Subtle Signs of Organizational Silos in Your Church" Unseminary.

The Voice of the Martyrs is a nonprofit, interdenominational missions organization that offers practical and spiritual help to persecuted Christians around the world. Here is their 2017 Global Report of Where Christians Are Being Persecuted Today.

Silence (沈黙 Chinmoku) is a 1966 novel of historical fiction by Japanese author Shūsaku Endō. It is the story of a Jesuit missionary sent to 17th century Japan, who endures persecution in the time of Kakure Kirishitan ("Hidden Christians") that followed the defeat of the Shimabara Rebellion. The recipient of the 1966 Tanizaki Prize, it has been called "one of the twentieth century's finest novels". Written partly in the form of a letter by its central character, the theme of a silent God who accompanies a believer in adversity was greatly influenced by the Catholic Endō's experience of religious discrimination in Japan, racism in France, and a debilitating bout with tuberculosis.

On this StoneBridge web page, you'll find resources to help you in your group or individual study of Matthew's Gospel.  These resources include (1) a Growth Group Study Guide, (2) two excellent introductory videos from The Bible Project, (3) links to free online Bible commentaries and study materials, and (4) the complete Visual Bible: Gospel of Matthew movie featuring Bruce Marchiano's winsome portrayal of Jesus.

Visit and like the StoneBridge Facebook page.

Thanks for partnering with us in our mission to reach people with the good news of God's love, to make disciples, and to send them out. Secure online giving via PayPal.

Subscribe to the StoneBridge Community Church podcast on iTunes and you'll never miss a message. Updates automatically.

Miss a message? You can always catch us on YouTube. We invite you to subscribe to our channel.