Capstone Church (Benbrook)

06/24/2026

Chaos Defeated—Two2Grow, June 24

“Also in front of the throne there was what looked like a sea of glass, clear as crystal.” Revelation 4:6a NIV

Have you ever experienced chaos—whether in your circumstances or in your inner emotional life? You lose all your fixed points in life, and confusion and fear take over.
The devil is the master of chaos. Whenever he enters the picture, that's what he brings. Chaos is what happens when God's good and peaceful order is turned upside down.

In the Book of Revelation, John is given a vision of heaven where he sees God's throne and the angels worshiping Him. There is something in particular I want you to notice, and that is the sea-like expanse in front of the throne and the fact that it is clear.

Why is this significant? In our day, the sea often brings pleasant feelings. We may think of beaches, swimming, boating, or going on a cruise. Yet in biblical times, people often looked at the sea with fear. The sea is typically portrayed in Scripture as a wild and untamed place associated with chaos and danger.

Many of us can relate to being in a stormy sea where we feel completely out of control.

Yet what we see in Revelation is that the powers of chaos are tamed and under the feet of God. The fact that the sea is transparent speaks of God transforming chaos into peace. What was once a source of fear and uncertainty has become clear, calm, and fully subject to God's rule—chaos is tamed and turned into divine, peaceful order!
Take courage today if you are facing chaos. Jesus defeated the devil, and chaos is under God's feet. You might not see any way forward, but for God it is transparent—He sees through the sea, so to speak. The powers of chaos will not define your life, nor will they have the final say. Put your hope in God; you will yet praise Him (Ps. 42:11).

Father, thank You for defeating the devil and the powers of chaos and for bringing me and my loved ones into a place of peace, order, and flourishing.

Pastor Mikael Stenhammar, PhD

06/23/2026

Be Bold—Two2Grow, June 23

"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go." — Joshua 1:9 NIV

I have a mentor in ministry who is now over 90 years old. One of his favorite things to say to me when I face hardship is, “Be bold.”

Joshua was taking over as the leader of God’s people after Moses. It was a great and difficult task. Joshua needed to hear what is said in today’s Scripture—and so do we.
We learn something important here: God will lead you into places and situations where you will be tempted to feel weak, fearful, and hopeless. Many times, we find ourselves in those places not because we have missed God, but because we are right in the center of His will.

The key is that in those moments, we must lift our eyes away from our own feelings and limitations and focus on the God who is with us. When our hearts are assured of His presence, weakness turns into strength, fear turns into faith, and discouragement turns into hope.

It all hinges on God’s promise never to leave us alone. The God of the universe is with you, and He will not let you fail or fall. His strength is sufficient for every challenge, His wisdom has no limits, and He already has a plan in place.

Look to God today. Don’t run away or try to ignore your problems. Pray that the Holy Spirit—who is the personal presence of God with you—will fill you with power to face your challenges. You are not alone. Like Joshua, you will come out on the other side with a testimony that will inspire others to trust in God’s faithfulness.

Father, I look to You! Fill me with courage, faith, and wisdom to face my challenges today. I trust You to bring me through.

Pastor Mikael Stenhammar, PhD

06/22/2026

Taming the Tongue—Two2Grow, June 22

By our speech we can ruin the world, turn harmony to chaos, throw mud on a reputation, send the whole world up in smoke and go up in smoke with it, smoke right from the pit of hell. James 3:6 The Message

At the wall in a house of some elderly missionaries we often visited in Africa hung a framed print on yellowed, moisture-damaged paper:

“Christ is the Head of this house, the unseen Guest at every meal, and the silent Listener to every conversation.”

I particularly remember that last phrase, and it is a very good reminder for us today. I don’t think it would hurt if we had this on our walls today too.

Some might think that God doesn’t care how we talk to one another, but that is a serious mistake. Just read the rest of James chapter 3, and you will see how seriously God views our words.

As we walk with Jesus, one of the most important areas where we need to mature is how we speak. Just as a child’s age is revealed by their speech, the maturity of a follower of Jesus is often revealed by how they handle their tongue.

It is strange, but some people seem to get energy from complaining and speaking bitter words. But we need to discipline our tongue and not let anger, bitterness, hate, fear, complaining, or other toxic attitudes find a voice through us. Our words should be edifying and full of life.

This is especially important in our homes, where we tend to let our guard down and let ourselves go. We need to speak life and blessing over our loved ones, not words that hurt and tear down.

Take a moment and reread today’s Scripture in The Message paraphrase. It brings the point home, and I hope it motivates all of us to keep a tight rein on our tongue today.

Father, forgive me for every word I’ve spoken that didn’t glorify You. Help me today to discipline my tongue so that my words will bless those around me.

Pastor Mikael Stenhammar, PhD

06/22/2026

https://youtu.be/LH8WbIjf5WE
What happens when a paramedic believes you have no chance of surviving, but God has other plans?

In this episode of Tell Your Story, Dr. Emelie Stenhammar interviews Conni Riveire, who shares her remarkable testimony of surviving a devastating car accident that left her with severe injuries, multiple surgeries, and a long road to recovery.

Connie recounts how Jesus sustained her through the darkest moments of her life, how her church family rallied around her, and how God made a way when doctors saw little hope. From learning to walk again to completing her military career and finding God's faithfulness every step of the way, Connie's story is a powerful reminder that God never abandons His children.

Join us as we hear how God's grace, provision, and presence transformed a tragedy into a testimony.

If this story encourages you, please like, subscribe, and share it with someone who needs hope today.
📍 Capstone Church | Fort Worth, Texas

What happens when a paramedic believes you have no chance of surviv...

06/21/2026

06/21/2026

Proverbs 22:6 AP - Amplified Bible
Train up a child in the way he should go [teaching him to seek God’s wisdom and will for his abilities and talents], Even when he is old he will not depart from it.

Remember when possible invite your father to church, or someone who is like a father in your life.

Everyone enjoy a blessed day.

06/21/2026

When Many Meets All—Two2Grow, June 20

“Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all.”
Psalm 34:19 NKJV

Living for Jesus will attract problems—where the light shines, that's where the bugs come.

So don't be surprised when you go through difficulties, and don't let the devil lie to you and say that you are suffering because God doesn't care about you or that God has left you alone.

Our text today is almost like a promise: when you live faithfully for God and His covenant, you will have afflictions.

In case you didn't notice, let me point out the word "many." Encouraging, huh? Perhaps not very encouraging, but it is reality. So if you're not going through some hardship right now, just get ready—another one is on its way.

This psalm would be depressing if it stopped after predicting troubles for us, but the beauty of it is that it continues with a promise: “But the Lord delivers him out of them all.” The word "many" is overcome by the word "all."

Whatever you are going through today, the Lord will deliver you. Don't let the devil tell you that your present problem is an exception. No! Like someone said, "All means all, and that's all all means!"

God will not leave you alone in your problems. There is already a rescue plan in heaven for the difficulty you are facing today. Trust that God's got it. Take courage today and know that God will work it out. You will have a story to tell of God's goodness and faithfulness.

Father, thank You that You are on my side no matter what I face and that You have a plan to work things out for my good and Your glory. Help me trust You and give me peace until Your answer comes.

Declare it aloud: "The Lord will deliver me out of [fill in your problem]."

Pastor Mikael Stenhammar, PhD

06/20/2026

To This You Were Called—Two2Grow, June 20

To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps. 1 Peter 2:21 NIV

When I was young, I thought that if I only had strong enough faith, I wouldn't have to go through difficulties. I saw suffering and faith as opposites that could not be mixed, like water and oil. But as I went deeper into God's Word, I realized I had misunderstood it all.

The Bible teaches that following Jesus and suffering actually go together. Jesus didn't just suffer in our place; He also suffered as our example. That's what today's verse says: "To this you were called"—called to suffer, that is.
But why would God allow His children to go through suffering? So often, suffering feels completely meaningless.

There was a great revival in Germany during the nineteenth century whose influence is still felt around the world today. Pastor Johann Christoph Blumhardt emphasized prayer, deliverance, healing, and the coming Kingdom of God. Extraordinary miracles were reported. Thousands of people traveled to his town seeking prayer, healing, and spiritual renewal, and reports of healings spread far and wide.
Yet in one of his devotional writings, he said:

“We must pass through all the grief that other people have, because there is to be a man of faith in every sorrow of the world.”¹

The point is this: suffering becomes a place of ministry to God and to others.
As we participate in the suffering of the world, we can be salt and light, pointing people to the reality of Jesus.

In the midst of suffering, we can serve as priests before God, offering a sacrifice of praise in the middle of hardship and pain.

So take courage today. Fix your eyes on Jesus, do not be ashamed of your suffering, and let it become a platform for praising God and proclaiming the gospel.

Holy Spirit, give me the strength to suffer for Jesus. Help me offer a sacrifice of praise and faithfully represent Jesus to those around me.

Pastor Mikael Stenhammar, PhD

¹ Johann Christoph Blumhardt, Thy Kingdom Come: A Blumhardt Reader, ed. Vernard Eller (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1980), 170.

06/19/2026

Romans 15:1-8
New International Version
15 We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves. 2 Each of us should please our neighbors for their good, to build them up. 3 For even Christ did not please himself but, as it is written: “The insults of those who insult you have fallen on me.”[a] 4 For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope.

5 May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had, 6 so that with one mind and one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

7 Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God. 8 For I tell you that Christ has become a servant of the Jews[b] on behalf of God’s truth, so that the promises made to the patriarchs might be confirmed.

06/19/2026

The Fellowship of the Holy Spirit—Two2Grow, June 19

May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. 2 Corinthians 13:14 NIV

Most churches I’ve attended in East Africa, regardless of tradition, close their services by having everyone quote this Scripture together in unison.

It is a rich text, and I particularly love the phrase, “the fellowship of the Holy Spirit.” There are two ways we can understand this.

The first is that the Holy Spirit creates fellowship among believers. It amazes me that you can meet believers from other countries and backgrounds who look different, speak differently, and even smell different. On the surface, we may seem to have nothing in common, yet we can still enjoy sweet fellowship with one another because of the Holy Spirit’s work in creating meaningful relationships. In this sense, the prayer is that we would experience fellowship among believers that is created by the Holy Spirit.

The second meaning speaks of our relationship with God and our invitation into a personal relationship with the Holy Spirit—that is, fellowship with the Spirit. What does that mean? It means nurturing an awareness of the Spirit’s presence, listening to the voice of the Spirit, and remaining open to the work of the Holy Spirit.

Bible scholars have not settled on which meaning Paul intended. Some—and I count myself among them—believe he meant both. Our goal is to live in relationships with others that are fostered by the Spirit and to live in close fellowship with the Spirit. That is exactly what we see in Jesus.

What can you do today to see both of these dimensions at work in your life?

Holy Spirit, I want to know You better and be more open to Your presence and more sensitive to Your leading. I also ask You to create deeper relationships with the people You have placed in my life. Amen.

Pastor Mikael Stenhammar, PhD