04/28/2026
In the Bible, the term Ebenezer comes from 1 Samuel 7:12, where the prophet Samuel set up a stone after God gave the Israelites a great victory over their enemies. He named it Ebenezer, meaning "stone of help" (or "Thus far the Lord has helped us"). This stone served as a lasting memorial—a physical reminder of God's faithfulness, provision, and help in a time of need.
To help us cultivate a similar habit of remembering God's faithfulness, we will make small stones available during our services. Here's how this simple practice works as a congregation:
• Take one of these stones home with you as a tangible reminder to bring your prayers and needs before the Lord—whether for healing, guidance, provision, protection, family concerns, or any area where you seek His help.
• Keep the stone in a visible place (like on your desk, nightstand, or in a pocket) to prompt you to pray persistently and trust God.
• When you experience a clear moment of God's help—an answered prayer, unexpected provision, healing, direction, or other evidence of His faithfulness—bring or return that stone and place it in our communal Ebenezer jar.
Over time, as the jar fills with these stones, it will become a shared, powerful visual testimony of God's ongoing faithfulness to our church family. In seasons of doubt or challenge, we can look at the jar and be reminded together: "Thus far the Lord has helped us." This builds collective gratitude, strengthens our faith as a body, and creates a quiet legacy of God's mighty acts among us.
This practice draws from biblical examples of memorial stones, such as those set up by Joshua (Joshua 4), encouraging us to intentionally remember and celebrate how the Lord continues to be our help.
Feel free to take a stone as the Lord leads you, and let's watch together as our Ebenezer jar becomes a growing monument to His goodness.
"Here I raise my Ebenezer, hither by Thy help I'm come" (from the hymn Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing).