Sean Heggood

“Jesus, the Resurrection and the Life”

Text: John 11:17–44

Point 1: Jesus Is the Resurrection and the Life (John 11:25–26)

Point 2: The Power of Prayer (John 11:41–42)

Point 3: Commanding Life Over Death (John 11:43)

Point 4: Loose Him and Let Him Go (John 11:44)

Spiritually, Christ frees us from sin and death, but we must walk in obedience to fully experience His freedom.

Jesus is the central figure of the Bible, the most important Person in human history. He is greater than all and above all. What you believe about Him matters the most. How you turn to Him helps the most. Therefore, the writer of Hebrews says that we should Consider Him.  The Bible says, “Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” The Bible says, “For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls.” Consider Him we will.

The classic line from the Mission Impossible series was a recorded voice saying, “Your mission, should you choose to accept it…,” followed by the voice continuing with the message of the mission. You have been given a mission. It is called the Great Commission. Your first responsibility is to accept it.  Every Christian is called to be a missionary. Every Christian has a mission. We say, “Should you choose to accept it,” but that should not be in question. The Great Commission is not an option to be considered but a command to be obeyed.

Psalm 29 is about the power and authority of the voice of God. This is the voice that spoke all creation into existence, and this is the voice that David hears. When he sees a powerful thunderstorm, it reminds him of God’s voice. Only he knows that God’s voice is even more powerful, so he seeks to describe God’s voice compared to what he sees. This is the same God today with the same powerful, authoritative voice.  Do you ever wonder if the voice you sense is God’s voice speaking to you, or maybe it’s the devil’s voice trying to trick you, or it’s your own voice or one of the many voices in your head? Jesus said, “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.” God’s voice is distinctive from any other, and you can know His voice. David hears it and describes it in Psalm 29.

The most powerful event in human history is the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The Apostle Paul said that’s what he wanted to truly know above all other things: the power of His resurrection. The resurrection of Jesus was so powerful that it revolutionized everything. The power of His resurrection can revolutionize your life, too.  The most important event in human history is the resurrection of Jesus Christ. That single act changed everything. Sin and death that seemed to have absolute dominion was utterly defeated. Man, who had no hope of a future or of a restoration of fellowship with the One True Living God was redeemed. And the glory of God was seen like never before. The world has never been the same since.

Pastor David Lix

We’ve all heard that if you want to make a significant impact or if you want to make lasting change, then you need to work it from in the inside out, that it’s easier to work within the system. The Church in Antioch took the opposite approach and became the mission-center of the world. Missionaries out of Antioch were said to have turned the world upside down. But they were all outsiders; outsiders who became insiders.  God can use anyone. And it may surprise you who He chooses to use and to what great extent He uses them. It may surprise you – it may shock you – to learn that He chooses to use you. You may discount your usefulness in numerous ways, but God often chooses outsiders over insiders to make a significant impact.

The Fruit of the Spirit is a single cluster of fruit, like a cluster of grapes with distinct, individual grapes making up that cluster. That means that the Holy Spirit is working this entire cluster in me, not just one or two of those listed. One of those individual distinctives is self-control. If the Holy Spirit is in control of my life, as I have been filled by Him, then He is going to grant me the desire and the ability to have self-control.  We are in a war, and the battleground is our mind. As much as our enemy is after a person’s heart and soul, the frontline is the mind. Self-control, as a product of the Holy Spirit living in us as we walk with Him, is desperately needed to win this fight. The good news is the Bible says, “Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ.”

The most famous verse in all the Bible is the greatest verse in all the Bible. Some have called it the “gospel in a nutshell.” You probably memorized it as a child going to Sunday School or Vacation Bible School. It’s John 3:16. Really, everything a person would need to know to be saved is in this single verse.  John 3:16 is only twenty-five words long. What other 25 words could be compiled and arranged to have the impact of these 25 words. Nothing is as profound, nothing is as sure, nothing is as grand, nothing is as universal, nothing is as impactful as the 25 words that make up John 3:16.

 The Fruit of the Spirit is a single cluster of fruit, like a cluster of grapes with distinct, individual grapes making up that cluster. That means that the Holy Spirit is working this entire cluster in me, not just one or two of those listed. One of those individual distinctives is gentleness. Because God deals gently with us, we ought to deal gently with others.  Almost immediately after telling us that the Holy Spirit will produce gentleness in us as a fruit, He demands of us that we use that gentleness He has given us to restore a fallen brother or sister in the faith. It is an immediately applied Fruit of the Spirit.

 The Fruit of the Spirit is a single cluster of fruit, like a cluster of grapes with distinct, individual grapes making up that cluster. That means that the Holy Spirit is working this entire cluster in me, not just one or two of those listed. One of those individual distinctives is faithfulness. Because God is faithful in all things, He empowers me to be faithful in all things as well.

  Faithfulness is one of the greatest Christian attributes that reflect the nature of God. When we are faithful, as believers, we testify to the character of God and we help give people a reason to trust Him.

 Change is coming. Someone has said that the only constant in life is change. If change is coming – and it is – it is for my best and for God’s glory when He initiates that change preceded by a clear call that I follow obediently. Moses at the burning bush is a great example of this.

 John Maxwell summed up change with this trio of truths:

·       People won’t change until they hurt enough that they have to.

·       People won’t change until they know enough that they want to.

·       People won’t change until they receive enough that they are able to.

All three elements were present when God called Moses to lead one of the biggest changes imaginable: the deliverance of God’s people from Egyptian bondage.

Who is Jesus? That’s the question of the ages. It is the question that matters most. Even King David asks the question similarly. He wrote twice in Psalm 24, “Who is this King of Glory?” Jesus was asked by Pilate if He was indeed the King of the Jews. The truth of the matter is He is the King of all. Paul will even refer to Him as the King of all other kings and the Lord of all other lords. He, and He alone, is the King of Glory.

If Jesus is the King of Glory, how can we sinners ever hope to stand before Him? In Psalm 24, David says that the only person who can stand before the King of Glory is the one whose hands have been cleaned and whose heart is pure. Only Jesus can cleanse us and purify us; we certainly cannot do that for ourselves. So, if you will be made right with God through the Person and Work of Jesus Christ, you will be able to stand before God in holiness.

The Fruit of the Spirit is a single cluster of fruit, like a cluster of grapes with distinct, individual grapes making up that cluster. That means that the Holy Spirit is working this entire cluster in me, not just one or two of those listed. One of those individual distinctives is goodness. I have no goodness of my own, but His goodness works in me and through me.  We know that we are not saved by good works, but according to Ephesians 2:10, we are saved “unto good works,” or that we might accomplish good works through His empowerment. The Bible says that Jesus “went about doing good.” His followers should do the same.

The Fruit of the Spirit is a single cluster of fruit, like a cluster of grapes with distinct, individual grapes making up that cluster. That means that the Holy Spirit is working this entire cluster in me, not just one or two of those listed. One of those individual distinctives is kindness. God treats us with kindness, and He expects His people to treat others with kindness.  Ellen DeGeneres ended her talk shows with an exhortation to be kind to one another. If anyone ought to understand kindness and know how to be kind to one another, it’s Christians. When we are kind, we are demonstrating in practical terms the transforming love of Jesus.

The Great Commission is found in all four Gospels and in the Book of Acts. John quotes Jesus, saying, “As the Father has sent Me, I also send you.” So, the goal Jesus had in fulfilling the Great Commission, of course, should be our goal, too. But also, the way Jesus went about fulfilling the Great Commission ought to be our method, too. At the close of Matthew 9, we find out how to do just that.

We have been called to serve the Lord. To serve Him with gladness, yes, but also to serve Him with toil and with the sweat of our brow. What better model have we ever had than that of the Lord Jesus. He literally gave His all. And we are to follow in His steps.

The Fruit of the Spirit is a single cluster of fruit, like a cluster of grapes with distinct, individual grapes making up that cluster. That means that the Holy Spirit is working this entire cluster in me, not just one or two of those listed. One of those individual distinctives is longsuffering. God treats us with longsuffering, and He expects His people to treat others with longsuffering. The character quality of Longsuffering means that you have a long fuse rather than a short fuse. Rather than blowing up in anger when you are provoked, you are able to show self-restraint. We see that in how God treats us, and we are to treat others that way, too. The only way is supernatural – for the Holy Spirit to produce that quality in you.

MVPs are found in every sport: the year’s Most Valuable Player. The Bible could be called the MVB – the Most Valuable Book. There is nothing quite like the Word of God. No other book can measure up to it. It has everything you need for life and godliness.  If you want the Word of God to have rule in your life, to come alive as you read it, then it’s going to take more than a casual glance at it, more than a nod of acknowledgement, more than a Sunday morning only reading of it. You need to integrate it into your life, make your Quiet Times a priority, and allow the Holy Spirit to apply its truth.

 The Fruit of the Spirit is a single cluster of fruit, like a cluster of grapes with distinct, individual grapes making up that cluster. That means that the Holy Spirit is working this entire cluster in me, not just one or two of those listed. One of those individual distinctives is peace. This is the same kind of peace that Jesus displayed. And according to Jesus, you can have that same peace in every situation. Peace is not the absence of problems. In fact, peace really shows its power in the midst of chaos. This is the kind of peace that allowed Jesus to sleep on a boat through a storm, and the kind of peace that allowed Him to walk calmly through a crowd wanting to throw Him over a cliff. And that kind of peace is the peace that He offers and that the Holy Spirit produces in you.

MESSAGE BY PASTOR DAVID LIX.

We often mistake joy with happiness; we think that as long as our circumstances are in our favor, we can have joy. But it is happiness that has to do with your happenings, your circumstances. Joy, on the other hand, is a gift, a fruit, a result that comes from walking rightly with the Spirit of God. You can display joy regardless of your circumstances.

The Fruit of the Spirit is a single cluster of fruit, like a cluster of grapes with distinct, individual grapes making up the cluster. One of those individual distinctives is joy. This is the genuine joy that Jesus displayed. And according to John 15:11, you can have that same joy Jesus has.

Revival is God’s work. He does this work in individuals. He has also done this work in a collection of individuals – sometimes in a church, sometimes in a city, and sometimes across the whole country. Our country, our city, our church needs revival. With one final warning, God offers us that chance through His prophet Hosea.

The Road to Revival has several stops. These are important places on God’s map. In fact, I’m not sure you can get to revival’s destination without going through each of these four places. Let’s learn from Hosea how to get there.

The Holy Spirit works His character in us. We call it the Fruit of the Holy Spirit. We have the privilege of putting on display for all the world to see some of the attributes of God. They should get a good idea of Who God is by how His people act.

Tina Turner may have wondered, What’s Love Got to Do with It, but God’s people have learned that love has everything to do with everything. God’s love has been demonstrated to us, and we are to demonstrate that love to others. Love really does make the world go ‘round.

Britt David welcomes special guest Andy Wells.

Britt David Welcomes special guest David Lix of The Columbus Baptist Association.

The theme that seems to run through Paul’s final letter, his second epistle to Timothy, is faithfulness. Back in the second chapter he acknowledged the reality of our lack of faithfulness sometimes. Yet, here in the last chapter, he encourages Timothy to be faithful to his calling, to remain steadfast even as Paul has shown him the way.  We often think of Paul as the super-Christian who did everything right and who did everything himself. Yet in most of Paul’s epistles he acknowledges, thanks, greets, or commends someone by name in the final chapter. We all need such faithful, steadfast partners in ministry.

Most often when asked what church they attend, people will point to a building. But the church is not the building. The Bible-word for church means “the called out ones,” therefore the root of the word is the people. We are the body of Christ, the bride of Christ. Any local church is a gathering of believers who have bound themselves together under the banner of Christ. This is who He died for and the ones He will use to change the world. What God does, He does forever. What He begins, He completes. “He who began a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.” This beautiful promise is given to His church, His body of believers, His family of faith, whom He works in and with and through.

On December 11, 1949, Britt David Baptist Church met for the first time as an official new church in Columbus, Georgia. After months of praying and strategizing, the church was planted in a newly growing area of the city. Seventy-five years later, we thank God for what He has done in, with, and through this church. His handiwork here is worth celebrating. We also celebrate Christmas in various places and in various forms. Some celebrate the season itself, some Santa, and some snowballs, and others sugar plums. But we celebrate the Savior. He really is the reason for the season. He is Immanuel, God with us. That is worth celebrating.

 The Last Days will be hazardous days for the world in general, and greater pressure is being put on the church. Not only will the church need to endure the days themselves, but fulfilling the Great Commission will face more obstacles than ever before. This world needs a Spirit-filled, Spirit-empowered, Spirit-anointed church to endure.

There is no doubt but that we are living in the Last Days, knowing that the Rapture of the Church and the Coming of Christ are nearer than ever before. That blessed hope of the church is also a great burden for the church knowing that we have a shortening time to bring men and women and boys and girls into a saving relationship with Jesus Christ. There is much to do and less time to do it.

Sadly, not all ministers are in ministry for the right reasons. This is true among vocational pastors, volunteer leaders, teachers, deacons, staff members, really anyone involved in ministry. We are thankful for the ones who are the right kinds of persons doing the right kinds of things in the right kinds of ways. Make sure you make the most of the character of the person leading.

In the first half of 2 Timothy 2, Paul’s focus was on Timothy maximizing his ministry, making the most of his opportunities, expanding and growing his ministry beyond where it currently is. In the second half of 2 Timothy 2, Paul’s focus is on Timothy maximizing the minister, making sure that he is the kind of leader that church needs. As much attention as we place on results, we need to pay more attention to the character of the man who is leading.

Unity in the church is not based on sameness nor on similarities. Unity comes from the Spirit. Thus the Bible says that we are to be “endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” It is HIS unity that we must strive to maintain.

David wrote, “Behold, how good and pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity.” There’s nothing quite like a church that is unified in Christ. They work together, they worship together, and Christ is glorified. And we the church are called to maintain that unity.

Paul certainly maximized the opportunities for ministry God had given to him, and he gave himself completely. As Paul looks forward to the next generation of ministry, he knows the need for that same level of strength, steadfastness, and sacrifice. He wants to see Timothy succeed in maximizing the opportunities for ministry God will give him.

“Make the most of your opportunities.” That advice has been passed down from generation to generation. When it comes to serving the Lord, being in your God-called ministry, you want to make the most of it too. So, what does it mean to maximize your ministry? That’s the question Paul tackles as he prepares Timothy for his upcoming opportunities.

Often times, there is an inexplicable gap between what we truly believe from God’s Word and how we feel in our own heart. We know that He loves us, we know that He has a purpose that is for our good and for His glory, we know that He will never leave us nor forsake us, but our hurt commands our attention such that we doubt that our circumstances will ever get any better. Psalm 77 is an honest look at grief.

Our annual Honor & Remembrance Service is designed to offer eternal hope and practical help to those who have lost a loved one this year. We host this service the week before Thanksgiving because we realize that these holidays are often the most difficult times we have dealing with our loss, and for these specific families, this will be the first Thanksgiving and Christmas they will go through without their loved one. If you, too, are dealing with loss and looking for comfort, we trust this message from God’s Word will help you.

These are indeed unsettling times. Presidential elections every four years highlight the uncertainty. Sometimes it feels like we are on the ocean in a raft drifting up and down with each successive wave. But our faith settles our hearts. And in his final letter, Paul reassures Timothy of this truth.

The oldest working lighthouse in America is the Sandy Hook Lighthouse in New Jersey. It has stood sturdy against waves and weather and erosion since 1764. Countless lives have been saved because it has remained unshakable. Paul writes this final letter to Timothy to ensure him that he can remain unshakable too, and countless souls will be saved as a result.

Can you imagine the fear that had taken over the disciples while they were on the boat during that storm that Jesus sent them into? The storm was fearful enough, but add to that the physical darkness they were trying to operate in. And then add to that this appearance they assumed was a ghost. No doubt they were shaking in their sandals. But this so-called ghost was really Jesus coming to their rescue, coming for their comfort, coming to calm them in turbulent times.

They say that the only thing unchanging is that change is sure to come. Some changes we see as advancements – we love the new technologies. But many changes we see as intrusive and unwelcome. It rocks our boats. But even then, God is still in control. This episode of Jesus walking on the water is a gentle and gracious reminder from God that you can trust Him in turbulent times.

In Paul’s final address to the Ephesian church, he pled with them to protect that little flock. He knew they needed leadership, and he knew they needed protection – they needed a shepherd. Paul leaves this message of legacy with them as they fondly remember the past and look expectantly to the future.

The church in Ephesus held a special place in the heart of the Apostle Paul. He genuinely loved them and longed to see them grow in their relationship with Christ, being used effectively by the Lord. As he passed nearby for the last time, he gathered the leaders of the church together and gave them this final exhortation. It is a beautiful, heartwarming message of love and legacy.

Luke 15 contains three companion parables. Each story points to the same truth, that the salvation of a soul is a monumental reason to celebrate and rejoice. The middle story of those three parables contains a unique statement. It says, “There is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” This message explores that statement in detail.

This past week, our church hosted an annual outreach event that brought in over ten thousand participants. Central to this event over the last twenty-five years has been the gospel, and we have seen hundreds and hundreds of people give their lives to Christ. This message is a reminder that that is worth celebrating.

Psalm 46 is a beloved psalm believers turn to in times of trouble. And the troubles we face are varied and sundry, as people used to say. Yet God remains reliably consistent. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. And here we are reminded that “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in times of trouble.”

In 701 BC, Sennacherib, the King of Assyria, after conquering city after city, came after Jerusalem, the capitol city of the Southern Kingdom of Judah, and more importantly, the city of God. Sennacherib threatened Jerusalem and he blasphemed God. And God came to their rescue, as He will come to yours. We are reminded that God is a very present help in times of trouble.

Psalm 46 was written in commemoration of the miraculous way God delivered the people of Jerusalem and the city itself from an attack by the Assyrians. Archeological digs have proven that what the Bible claimed as historical fact was right all along. And the lessons learned then are the lessons we need to learn today.

The title above Psalm 46 reads, “A psalm of the sons of Korah.” Eleven psalms are attributed the same way. This particular psalm was written, maybe at King Hezekiah’s behest, to acknowledge the greatness of God as seen in His deliverance of Jerusalem in 701 BC. What was true and needed over 2700 years ago is just as true and just as needed today.

The troubles we face are real. And sometimes they are devastating. But even if the whole earth were annihilated, or if the highest of mountains collapsed into the ocean, or if that ocean roiled like a boiling pot of water, God is still perfectly capable of handling the situation. And if He can handle something like that, imagine Him coming to your rescue during your times of trouble.

Psalm 46 is written as a reflection of a difficult yet victorious time in Jerusalem’s history. God miraculously delivered them from an opposing, overwhelming enemy. The Psalmist then writes to encourage people like us who face terrible troubles reminding us that God is still God, and that He can still act miraculously. In your times of trouble, look to Him as your refuge and strength.

Welcome to Britt David Podcast and a message from Pastor Tim entitled "For the Gospel's Sake" from 1 Corinthians 9:23.  Todays message comes from the heart of Pastor Tim.  The God given vision of Ark In The Park Has spanned now some 25 years.  The purpose is simply stated “ It’s a safe, Christ Centered trick or treat alternative, where kids will get more candy and have more fun than if they went anywhere else.  Over these years Pastor Tim, his family, and Britt David have endeavored to share the love and message of Christ to everyone that attends.  Hear his heart today as he shares this message.

Your spiritual life needs nourishment. For good physical health, you need to eat right and exercise. For good mental health, you should read and engage in meaningful conversations. For good spiritual health, you should feed on God’s Word, exercise the principles found, read the Bible and good books, and engage in meaningful conversations with God. To neglect to do so will lead your spiritual life to ruin.

The Prophet Jeremiah was used effectively by God to warn His people of their pending judgment. Though similar in their message, the way God used Jeremiah was unique. God used visual clues and dramatic performances by Jeremiah to communicate His message. In chapter 13, God uses a new priestly sash and a fifteen-hundred-mile journey to demonstrate the distance the people had put between themselves and God. It is a symbolic sash.

Solomon was given a measure of wisdom greater than all others. The Book of Proverbs is him as a dad passing down that wisdom to his son. In so doing, he passes that along to us. And in the same way that God provided Solomon with wisdom, He says He will provide wisdom for all who ask Him for it.

The Book of Proverbs is a guide for life. Attempting to live a godly life in an ungodly world requires wisdom. Through this Book, God provides His people with divine instruction on how to successfully navigate the corrupted path of life. This Book provides us with a pathway to wisdom.

The little redhead sang the song so joyfully, "It's a hard knock life".  Once a day don't you want to throw the towel in? It's easier than puttin' up a fight. No one's there when your dreams at night get creepy! No one cares if you grow... or if you shrink! No one cares when your eyes get wet an' weepy! From all the cryin' you would think this place's a sink! Ohhhh!!!!!! Empty belly life! Rotten smelly life! Full of sorrow life! No tomorrow life! Oh, but There's hope for the hard-knock life!!

We tend to think about prayer as a wish-list. When I was a boy, I would search through the toy catalog that came in the mail, circle all the toys I wanted, and then make sure that the catalog found its way to my mom and dad. We treat prayer similarly. But real prayer doesn’t begin with me or my need; it doesn’t begin with my great need nor end with that need. Prayer begins and ends in the heart of God.

Jesus commands us to pray. Although He already knows what you have need of, He stills requires His children to come to Him in prayer. That should tell us that prayer is not merely a vehicle for getting what I want. Prayer is of God, and if I want to know Him, then I must spend time in prayer.

Alvin Reid once said, “Prayer is intimacy with God that leads to the fulfillment of His purposes.” He is right. Prayer is not a shortcut to getting what I want from God. Prayer allows me to get to know God on a deeper level and allows God to work out His purposes in me and then through me.

Jesus told His disciples, “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.” Ask. Seek. Knock. Those words can be an acronym, A-S-K, ask. Just before Jesus goes to the Garden of Gethsemane, He takes time to teach His disciples one more time to ask. And if they will ask, they will receive.

Mysteries are scary when you don’t know the outcome. But when you know when the story has a happy ending, the frightening points along the way lose a little bit of their punch. For many people, studying the Rapture of the Church is scary, but God reveals to us what we need to know that it might be encouraging instead.

One of the most beautiful thoughts in the New Testament is that one day Jesus will return for His bride, the church. He told us that He had gone into heaven to prepare a place for us, like a groom will prepare living conditions for his bride. And when He is ready, He will come get us. Thankfully, the Bible shares some of the details of what that will be like.

The return of Jesus, the rapture of the church, is imminent. That simply means that He could return to retrieve His bride at any moment. There is no prophecy awaiting to be fulfilled; there are no reasons for His delay outside of His own will and timing. He may have been gone for two thousand years, but when He comes, it’ll have just been “a little while,” especially in the context of eternity.

None of us enjoy waiting. Waiting on a doctor, waiting at a traffic light, waiting until Christmas. But learning to wait is a part of life. And what we gain in the waiting can be invaluable. God teaches us life-long lessons in the waiting. Today we wait for Jesus’ return. And He prepares us everyday for His coming.

Christian renewal and church revival are common prayer requests. Often we hear messages that inspire us to be and to do differently. But to step out and make the changes necessary is another story entirely. Fear and busy-ness stay in our way. But if you could get over that like Rai Benjamin in the Olympic hurdles, you would find the possibility to push reset in your life.

Don’t you wish you had a reset button in life? Just one little click and everything would be refreshed, and you would get a chance to start over. There are no such buttons in real life, but God does offer us the ability to stop and reset our priorities. Many of us just don’t feel like we have the time to do it. But it is so necessary that maybe we should stop now and push reset.

One of the chief roles of the Holy Spirit is to glorify Christ. This is pictured beautifully in the Book of Revelation where the Holy Spirit is said to be like seven lamps of fire before the throne of God in heaven; the purpose of those lamps, the purpose of the Holy Spirit is to cast light – to spotlight – the Person of Christ. He is doing that today through the life of the Christian.

The Holy Spirit has been called the Helper, the Comforter, the Spirit of Glory, the Spirit of Grace, and other great titles. In our passage today, Jesus calls Him the Spirit of Truth, meaning that He will guide believers into all truth. Today we want to take a look at the way the Holy Spirit works in the life of a Christian.

The role of the Holy Spirit cannot be overemphasized. For too long, among us Baptists, we have understated His role. Without Him, however, we would never have come to Christ, we would never find lasting comfort, and we would have no choice but to succumb to the world’s pressures. Don’t resist the Holy Spirit; Jesus has sent Him to be your Helper.

At the end of John 16, Jesus encourages His disciples by telling them, “In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” That statement in the last verse is a synopsis of this whole chapter. As you will hear from the first third of this chapter, Jesus tells His disciples how and why they will face so much trouble, but the presence of His Holy Spirit will see them through.

We Christians want to be used by God. We want to be His vessel, His tool, His servant. Sometimes those opportunities for usefulness take us by surprise, and we don’t think that we are ready. But the God who is sovereign over all things may just have you right where He wants you at just the right time. Look around you. Is someone hurting? Is someone in need? Is someone lost? Maybe this is your Divine Appointment.

A Divine Appointment is when God orchestrates a meeting between one of His witnesses and a lost person He desires to save. This appointment may be news to both the witness and the lost person, but God has arranged it nonetheless. To the surprise of both, that lost person may find salvation. Wouldn’t you want to be a part of something like that? Ask God, then, to set you up a Divine Appointment.

Of the fastest 10 pitches ever thrown in Major League Baseball, 8 of them were thrown by Aroldis Chapman, topping out at 105.8 mph. Of the 10 hardest hit homeruns in Major League Baseball, half of those belong to Giancarlo Stanton, topping out at 121.7 mph. “Power in” is often “power out.” The same is true in witnessing – the Holy Spirit brings His power in that you may display His power out, and the result may be a transformed life.

When it comes to being a witness for Christ, most Christ know they are to be faithful witnesses. Many even feel that sense of urgency. So, why do we keep reading poll results that say that less than 2 percent of all believers have ever shared their faith with a lost person, giving them a chance to respond? Maybe one reason is that we think we have a responsibility too great for us, that we just can’t do it. Jesus has a message for every person who feels that way: the power of your witness is in Him, not in you.

Britt David Podcast welcomes special guest David Lix.

Britt David Podcast welcomes special guest Pastor David Lix.

Britt David Podcast welcomes special guest David Lix.

Britt David Podcast welcomes special guest Pastor David Lix.

Britt David Podcast welcomes Andy Wells as he shares the conclusion to his  message entitled "The Gospel".

Britt David Podcast welcomes Andy Wells as he shares a message with us today entitled "The Gospel".

I think I’m pretty likeable. I want people to like me. I try to get along with everybody. So, when I read that there is a vast portion of this world who hates me – not just dislikes me, but hates me – I have a hard time swallowing that. Why would they hate someone like me? Jesus said it is because they hate Him. And I am His, and He is mine. Be loveable; just know that everyone won’t see you quite that way.

Hate is a strong word. Hate is an ugly word. Hate is a word that many parents forbid their children to use. But hate is a word that Jesus used and focused on as He warned His disciples how the world would view them. Why does the world hate genuine followers of Jesus? That is what we will explore as we study this passage in John 15.

Check out the conclusion to Pastor Tim's message as he shares this great spiritual truth!!!

Check out Pastor Tim's message as he shares this great spiritual truth!!!

They say that love makes the world go ‘round. If so, then Christians have a great responsibility. Jesus told us what No Greater Love looks like. He showed that love to us by loving us that way. Now, we are to demonstrate that same kind of love to others. In this passage we learn how Jesus loves us.

One of the greatest, simplest, most profound truths in all the world is that God loves you. He perfectly demonstrated that love by sending Jesus to die a substitutionary, atoning death on the cross for you. HE now calls upon us to love Him in return with all our hearts AND to love others that same way. How can I possibly love like Jesus loves? There is no greater love than His.

We know that Jesus said that without Him we could do nothing. Nevertheless, we attempt to do nearly everything without Him. We may pray about a situation, but we tackle it as if it all depended on us. We would be fruitful if we would abide in Him and allow Him to live His life, His will, His purposes through us.

There may not be a more beautiful picture of our relationship with Christ than Jesus provides in John 15, where He is the vine and we are the branches. His illustration describes a living relationship, a fruitful relationship. He describes what our relationship ought to be. And a theme that runs through His depiction is the word, abide.

Of the seven I AM statements from Jesus in the Gospel of John, one of the most prolific is “I am the True Vine.” He names for us all the parts of His illustration: He is the Vine; God the Father is the Vinedresser; and we are the Branches. His explanation of the activity and necessity of the vine and the vinedresser to the branches is profound. He reminds us that we are to be utterly dependent upon Him in this life.

The faith-filled heritage of the United States is well-documented. God raised up leaders and patriots whom we know refer to as our Forefathers. They paved the way for our independence as a nation, but they did it because of their dependence upon God and the leadership of the Holy Spirit. If they were so dependent upon Him then, we should certainly be dependent upon Him today.

Gnats and flies can ruin a picnic. You spend more time shooing them away than you do enjoying your lunch and enjoying your company. At least, they are just a nuisance. Our passage today mentions something far worse than a mere irritation. Vultures came down on Abram’s sacrifice, and he had to shoo them away. We can learn a lot about waiting on the Lord while we shoo away the enemies.

Waiting frustrates us. Sitting in a waiting room at the doctor’s office. Waiting on that check to come in the mail. Even waiting at a red light. But learning to wait on God is vitally important. We are told to wait on Him over a hundred times in the Bible. Why? In part, He is using that waiting time to prepare us. So, learn how to Wait On and how to Wave Off.

Worldly peace is temporary; God’s peace is eternal. Worldly peace is circumstantial; God’s peace is foundational. Worldly peace is based on the environment; God’s peace is based on His nature. Worldly peace is inferior; God’s peace is superior. Worldly peace is grasped; God’s peace is a gift. Worldly peace is uncertain; God’s peace is sure. Jesus offers you God’s peace in the midst of your storms.

Storms are normal and inevitable. We have a hurricane season and a tornado season that come around as consistently as baseball season followed by football season. And then there are pop-up thunderstorms that arrive anytime. Just as sure are the figurative storms in life. You are going to go through them, that’s for sure. Jesus would have you go through them with perfect peace.

In February of 2023, the most remarkable and unexpected thing happened in what appeared at first to be an ordinary chapel service at Asbury University. God manifested His presence, and revival broke out. Like a wildfire, God sparked the same thing through campuses and churches across America. We need to seek God’s presence manifest among us yet again.

Throughout the years, we conservative Baptists have tended to shy away from anything that might cause others to wonder if we are really charismatics in disguise. If that’s the case then many of us have disguised our way to listless. This has been to our great detriment. It has caused us to try and live outside the protective and provisional and powerful work of the Holy Spirit. Tonight, we conservative Baptists need to know and experience the manifest presence of God.

There are over 143 million orphans in the world today. Less than a million of them will ever be adopted. The rest are forced to live with feelings of isolation and abandonment. Jesus, however, never does that with His children. We were all spiritual orphans at one time, but we’ve been adopted, and God is our Abba Father. Through His Holy Spirit, Jesus never leaves us abandoned.

Someone has said that “normal” is only a setting on your dryer, not a way to describe life. But in this passage in John 14, Jesus seems to be describing what a normal Christian life looks like. As Watchman Nee pointed out, there is a vast difference between what Jesus refers to as the normal Christian life and what we experience as an average Christian life. When we settle for average, we miss out on the tremendous blessings God has planned as a part of the normal.

If Jesus is preparing His disciples in John 14 for the “new normal” of living life and ministering without His physical presence among them, then His words here are intensely appropriate and applicable for us. We live and minister beyond His physical presence. However, in reality, His presence is ever with us. And it is His presence that gives us power for living.

Today we come to a passage that has made many a Christian raise an eyebrow and wonder if they are doing something wrong in their Christian life or if maybe they have just missed out on something. Here Jesus promises, “Greater works than these will he do.” If you assume that means you will heal the sick, the lame, the blind, the deaf, if you assume that means you will calm the storm and raise the dead, but yet you haven’t, then yes, you probably will wonder what’s wrong. But is that really what Jesus is saying to His disciples? Let’s find out as we study Jesus’ words.

 In John’s Gospel and in his Book of Revelation, John refers to Jesus as The Word. We would liken it to a nickname. But why call Him that? I think maybe because words are the expressions of our thoughts, and the Book of Hebrews says that Jesus is the true and perfect expression of Who God is. So, if God the Son is the absolute reflection of God the Father, then I know that I can always trust in Him.

Between the economy and potential climate change and the ever-present threat of terrorism, there seem to be fewer and fewer certainties in life. They say the only certainties are death and taxes, but the IRS has rendered even taxes as unreliable. So, where can you find stability? In the Person of Jesus Christ. He never changes; you can always count on Him.

The Psalmist David wrote, “I was glad when they said unto me, ‘Let us go to the House of the Lord.’” We should be glad to be invited, and we should be glad to go. Church attendance is foundationally important for the Christian, and we need to make sure that we are there in the Lord’s House, on the Lord’s Day, with the Lord’s people, hearing form the Lord’s Word. Let us arise and go back up to the House of God.

Going to church on Sunday is no longer the norm in America and not even in what was considered the Bible Belt. Fifteen years ago, according to Barna Research, just under half of all American adults claimed to attend church at least once a month – 48%. Early in 2020, that same research showed that number had dropped to 29%, way less than a third. We really don’t need research results to tell us that the number has surely dropped under a quarter since COVID. It’s time for Americans to get back to the house of the Lord.

 Jesus loves me, this I know / For the Bible tells me so. We learned this song as children. About that same time we learned, For God so loved the world He gave His only begotten Son. Those lessons need to be taught again and again to each generation. Jesus loves every boy and every girl, and He wants every one of them to be saved!

As churches all over America prepare for Vacation Bible Schools, there is an intense focus on reaching children with the gospel of Jesus Christ. Some object, saying, “Those children are too young to know what they are doing.” Be careful, you may find yourself on the wrong end of Jesus’ comments to His own disciples in Mark 10. We want to create a clear path for boys and girls to come to know Jesus personally.

We measure height by inches, feet, even yards. We measure weight by ounces and pounds. Those numbers may tell me how big I am – both how tall and how wide. But they cannot tell me how much I have grown spiritually. For that we look to the meaningful milestone moments that God has given to us. And, like Jeremiah said, we can glory that we understand and know Him, that He is the Lord, exercising lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth.

We measure age the same way we do time: in seconds and minutes and hours and days and weeks and months and years. The number of trips around the sun may tell you how old you are, but it cannot measure how good my life has been, how meaningful, how impactful. We measure that in milestones, those wonderfully unforgettable moments when God does something really special. So, we celebrate those milestone moments in a way that honors the Lord.

The Ascension of Christ is more than just another event, another miracle, in the life and ministry of Jesus. It contains the authoritative framework whereby we have assurances of God’s promises. One of those assurances He gives us is the ability to do His will here until He returns. We call these Spiritual Gifts, and every born-again believer has been given at least one. Now you are capable of doing the very things God created you to do, and it is all through His power.

The Ascension of Christ is more than just another event, another miracle, in the life and ministry of Jesus. It contains the authoritative framework whereby we have assurances of God’s promises. One of those assurances He gives us is the reality of our own salvation, our own soon-coming deliverance. Because Jesus died, was buried, came to life again, and ascended into heaven, I can know for sure that He will return again to take me home in victory and triumph.

Your identity and your value cannot be determined by the achievements in your life – and thankfully, neither your identity nor your value is defined by your past mistakes. Leah, Rachel, and these other moms are struggling with that very issue. If they only knew then what you know now: that your identity is in Christ, thus your value and worth are determined by Him and what He declares concerning you.

The Bible mentions 4 moms to Jacob’s children. You know, although the Bible, and the Old Testament specifically, records occurrences of polygamy, the Bible never condones nor promotes the practice. In fact, in every instance, multiple spouses is a recipe for disaster. In Jacob’s case, it makes for a highly competitive and highly dysfunctional family. And each woman is trying to find her identity through that mess.

After the disciples were convinced that Jesus had indeed risen from the dead, they may have forgotten about those times that He told them He was going away and both what and how they were to keep on going. His ascension was an abrupt reminder that He really was going away and would thus send the Holy Spirit. His ascension brought their duty to the Great Commission to the forefront.

Luke’s Gospel ends with the Great Commission and the Ascension of Christ into Heaven; his next Book, the Acts of the Apostles, begins with the Great Commission and the Ascension of Christ into Heaven. It is a “hinge event” that connects the teachings of the Gospels with the disciples living out what Jesus had taught them even though He is gone from their presence. So, now, while we await His return, we find ourselves still trying to fulfill the Great Commission.

Jacob was the swindler who got swindled. He thought he’d worked those 7 years for Rachel, the woman he fell in love with at first sight. Yet he was tricked into marrying Leah. In this one passage, and for chapters that follow, you find a man who is both happy in his marriage and unhappy in his marriage. And from such a unique perspective, we can learn lessons for our homes today.

The story of Jacob’s life never seems to follow a straight line. Many of the twists and turns are of his own making – he is the usurper after all. And when it comes to his marriage, his love relationship with the beautiful Rachel, it’s just as up and down. From the moment he lays eyes on her, he is smitten, but he won’t get to be with her for another 14 years. Why? Let’s explore his story together.

A focal point of each one of the Gospels is the Great Commission. After telling the story of Jesus, each writer shares His instructions to His disciples for taking His gospel around the world. Luke’s telling may not be as memorable as Matthew’s or as succinct as Mark’s, but if He can “open their understanding that they might comprehend the Scriptures,” then He can do the same for us.

It has been said that the marching orders for this great Christian army called the church is the Great Commission. Our appointment, as soldiers of the cross, is to take the gospel of Jesus Christ across the street and around the world. Wherever we are, we are His ambassadors. Like a good courier, we are to faithful to deliver the message of our Commander-in-Chief wherever He sends us.

Welcome to part 2 of this fourth and final message in the series, “Because He Lives: The Aftermath of Jesus’ Resurrection.” Today, we are talking about what the Book of Revelation calls The First Resurrection. And if there’s a first, that must mean there is also a second. There is. But the second is not as good, as blessed, or as holy as the first. Let’s discover the horror of the Second Resurrection.

There is a beautiful promise found toward the end of the Book of Revelation. It reads, “Blessed and holy is he who has a part in the first resurrection.” I can be blessed by God by being a part of this first resurrection. My question then is, What is the first resurrection? And then, How do I get in on it? Those questions are answered as we study this passage in Revelation, chapter 20.

Our culture is fascinated by stories of ghosts and zombies and such. And though Hollywood uses the best of effects that make them seem so real, the Bible gives us no indication of such a thing. While the world would have you celebrate death, God would have you celebrate life. Jesus makes it clear in this passage that He is no ghost, but the glorified Son of God resurrected from the dead. And here He gives His disciples and us reason to believe Him.

On that first Easter night, with the disciples of Jesus fearfully hiding in the Upper Room, the glorified Jesus mysteriously appears in their midst. They know that He’s dead, so they presume that they are seeing a ghost. But in the encounter, as Luke describes it, Jesus clearly demonstrates to them that He is no ghost, rather He gives them good reason to believe that He has been raised from the dead. And this gives us good reason to believe that He has been raised from the dead.

Welcome to part 2 of this third message in the series, “Because He Lives: The Aftermath of Jesus’ Resurrection.” Today, we are talking about the relationship between baptism and the resurrection. The water we use in a baptistery simply helps us portray a profound truth: because Jesus is alive, everything in my life is made new.

Scriptural Baptism is a special and significant event in the life of every believer. We invite our family and friends to see it. We give new Bibles and certificates to the baptizee. But in reality, that water baptism is just a picture, a symbol of what is going on on the inside of me, a portrayal of the resurrection of Jesus. My pastor used to say, “Baptism is an outward symbol of an inward reality.” So, His resurrection is my victory.

Sunday School or Life Groups or Bible Study Groups, whatever an individual church may call these kinds of gatherings need to be healthy and effective and growing. The principles that we find in the account of Jesus and the two disciples on the Road to Emmaus are the very principles needed to make a Sunday School class what it ought to be.

On the afternoon and evening of that first Resurrection Day, the glorified Jesus mysteriously met with two unnamed disciples as they made their way down the road toward Emmaus. The conversation that ensued is remarkable. The whole situation is strangely much like modern-day Sunday School or Bible Study Groups. Maybe our Sunday School classes should be more like this Sunday School in the Street.

Welcome to part 2 of this second message in the series, “Because He Lives: The Aftermath of Jesus’ Resurrection.” Today, we are talking about what the Bible says about, what I would call, a Resurrection Revolution. In other words, the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead changes everything in your life. We’ve talked about some of those radical changes in part 1, now let’s finish this passage together.

Philippians 3 is such a beautiful chapter, and in it Paul gives the evaluation of his life a three-count. Three times in that passage, he says that he counts, and each of those times he is taking what the world counts as an asset and he counts it as a loss. Do you ever find that your priorities and the things you value in this life don’t really match up with what the world is trying to sell you? Paul had a Resurrection Revolution, and it changed everything for him. It’ll change things for you too.

Welcome to part 2 of this first message in the series, “Because He Lives: The Aftermath of Jesus’ Resurrection.” We are talking about what the Bible says about Our Glorified Bodies. The Bible is clear that we will have glorified, resurrection bodies fit for eternity. But what will they be like? How can I possibly understand this concept that is so strange? The Bible encourages us as it leads us into this truth.

 Sometimes we think of Easter Sunday as the end. We’ve worked hard to get our facilities dressed up, to reach out to potential church-guests, to put together a great worship service, even to get a new set of clothes laid out. And then, whew, it’s over. No, it’s just beginning. Because of Jesus’ resurrection, it changes life both now and forever for us. Today, in this new series, “Because He Lives: The Aftermath of Jesus’ Resurrection,” we want to look at what the Bible says about Our Glorified Bodies. 

When the women returned from Jesus’ empty tomb to report what they had heard and seen to the apostles, they were dismissed. The Bible distinctly says that those men didn’t believe them. When Peter preached after seeing the empty tomb and later even seeing and interacting with Jesus Himself, many people still didn’t believe him. The question becomes, What do you believe about Resurrection Day?

The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the most pivotal moment in the history of the world. Because of His resurrection, everything changed for eternity. Yet some are unwilling to believe. They offer ridiculous theories, but the simple truth of the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus can change your life forever. Consider the proofs that Luke offers to the Reality of Resurrection Day.

No other event in the history of mankind has ever been so definitive and so divisive as is the Death, Burial, and Resurrection of Jesus Christ. He changed everything. And He continues to change everything through that one event. In Luke’s Gospel we see this change taking place. What a difference just a few hours make.

I remember that Jesus said that no one would take His life from Him, rather He would lay it down and He would take it back up again. When I see so many prophesies being fulfilled in just a few short hours on Crucifixion Day, I realize that this was no accident. God had been orchestrating this for centuries. And when the Day came, Jesus was obedient unto death, even the death on a cross.

American civics is in shambles; it’s broken. Every branch of government – from the executive to the legislative to the judicial – it’s all a mess. Maybe the saddest part is that this is nothing new. The Roman government that ruled the days of Jesus were corrupt and underhanded. How they handled Jesus and His prosecution tells that story. After He endured 3 illegal trials from the Jews, He faced 3 more trials at the hands of the Roman politicians. They too put Jesus on Trial. 

Sometimes we use the term clown court to describe proceedings that are so out of whack that it’s impossible to find true justice. If ever there was a picture of that, it’s these so-called trials that Jesus endures from the time of His arrest til His crucifixion. And of all things, it is spear-headed by the religious establishment of His day, the very people who claimed to be awaiting God’s Messiah. They took this Messiah and put Him on trial for His life.

 Some things in life are better caught than taught. Pray is one of those. Don’t get me wrong, we do need to study and learn about prayer and how to pray. But the best way to learn is to do. Sometimes we talk all around prayer but never get around to actually praying. So, maybe you want to begin by listening to someone you know who knows how to pray – listen to them and learn from them. Let’s do that with Jesus; let’s listen to Him in the Garden and learn how to pray. 

Jesus’ prayer life is well documented in the Gospels, from Him praying at His baptism to Him praying on the cross. Prayer was a priority for Jesus. It wasn’t His last resort, rather it was His first response. Were our prayer lives as prioritized, we too would see greater power to endure the things we suffer in this life. Let’s learn from Jesus’ prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane characteristics suitable for our own prayer lives.

 David Lix

Hillcrest Ministry Resource Center Missionary

David Lix has served as the Hillcrest Ministry Resource Center Missionary since September 2014. David was called to the ministry in the summer of 1986.  He has served various churches as Youth Minister for 16 years and Pastor for 17 years. As of May 2023, he has served in a full-time capacity with CBA as the Ministry Resource Director.

David was born in Colorado and raised in Missouri.   David has been married to Lorrie for 35 years and they have one daughter.    David has a B.S. in Theology from Beacon University and a Biblical Counseling Certificate.  

David Lix

Hillcrest Ministry Resource Center Missionary

David Lix has served as the Hillcrest Ministry Resource Center Missionary since September 2014. David was called to the ministry in the summer of 1986.  He has served various churches as Youth Minister for 16 years and Pastor for 17 years. As of May 2023, he has served in a full-time capacity with CBA as the Ministry Resource Director.

David was born in Colorado and raised in Missouri.   David has been married to Lorrie for 35 years and they have one daughter.    David has a B.S. in Theology from Beacon University and a Biblical Counseling Certificate.  

 The Bible says that right now, Jesus Christ is seated at the right hand of the Father, and He is continually making intercession for you, the saints of the Lord. He is praying for you. He sees what you’re going through; He sees the temptations facing you; and He is praying for you. What a beautiful verse when Jesus tells Peter, “Satan has asked for you that he might sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you.” He says that to Peter, and He says that to you. 

 Failure is awful. So much so, that some people hate failure to a greater degree than they love winning. For them, being cheated out of twenty dollars at a store is worse than finding a twenty-dollar bill in a parking lot. But the truth is that we do fail. Sometimes often, and sometimes big. The good news is that you can be forgiven and restored. God still loves you, and God can still use you. If you would respond to Him with trust, He will accomplish more than you can imagine.

In the Wild West, at a quick-draw duel, one gunslinger might be said that he “got the drop” on the other one. That phrase has come to mean when one person has an advantage over another, or even when one person takes advantage of an unsuspecting other. If you think that Judas “got the drop” on Jesus and betrayed Him while His guard was down, you’d be mistaken. Jesus allowed it because it was one prophesied step on His way to redeeming you and me.

What do you think about when you hear the name Benedict Arnold? Betrayal, right? Being a traitor. What do you think about when you hear the name Judas? The same. He will forever be known as a traitor, the one who betrayed Jesus. On the day before His crucifixion, a diabolical plan was set in motion against Jesus.

SPECIAL GUEST ANDY WELLS

SPECIAL GUEST ANDY WELLS

Love is a sure theme in John’s First Epistle. He mentions love by name 46 times in this little letter. And although it is usually positive and encouraging and uplifting, he does use the word love negatively, saying that we should not love the world nor the things in the world. He even says that you can be sure that the person who loves the world doesn’t have the love of the Father in him. So, this February I declare, “I don’t love the world.”

All February long we have talked about what the Bible says about love. We know that He loves us. And we know that we are to love others. In fact, Jesus said that people would know that we belong to Him when they see our love for one another. All that, and yet the Bible says that there is something I am not to love. God says explicitly, “Do not love the world nor the things in the world.” We need to explore that.

We know that the Bible says that Jesus will return literally, visibly, and bodily. One thing we want to know is His disciples back then also wanted to know: When? When is He coming again? Jesus said that’s not what we are to be looking for. Rather, there will be signs to look for, and there will ministry to engage in. Let’s get busy because His return is closer than it’s ever been.

How do you think you would act if you were given a glimpse into the future? You may be thinking about making a fortune off technology upgrades or business deals. But what if it were a glimpse into tragedy? You say, “I wouldn’t want that.” What if we could have had such a glimpse prior to September 11th? Or what if you had a glimpse of a burglar attempting to break into your house? You would act, wouldn’t you? Jesus gives us a sure-to-be glimpse of His return. We need to act accordingly.

In his First Epistle, John wrote 105 verses. And 46 times, he uses the word love. It is obviously an important word to the Apostle John. By the way, every time he uses that word, he always uses a form of the Greek term agape, the word for unconditional love. John says that’s how God loves us, that’s the way we are to love Him, and that’s the same way we are to love one another.

Someone has said, “Love without action is meaningless; action without love is irrelevant.” When it comes to loving God, Jesus said that was the most important thing we can do: To love God by putting our words, our feelings, our commitments, our devotion into action. We are not to be weighed down by chronic busyness, but our relationship with God through Jesus Christ is to be a living, active relationship.

Families are not perfect, and sometimes they can be hard to love. But when I understand that love is more about deliberate choice than a subjective feeling, I can choose to love them no matter the circumstances and no matter their response. And if you choose to love them anyway, you may discover that those circumstances change and so do their responses.

As we focus on love this month, we need to cast the light on the most immediate group of people you should show genuine love. Who is that? It is your own family. If God has given you a spouse, and if God has given you children, then treat them like the precious gifts they are. If you will treat them the way God has prescribed, then they will treat you better than you deserve. I love my family, but I want to make sure that I love them the way the Spirit of God guides me to do so.

A verse from the old hymn begins, “Take my silver and my gold; / Not a mite would I withhold.” Yet, when we get a little silver or gold, we hold it with all our might. Someone said, “When we get all we can, we can all we get, then we sit on the can.” The money God has entrusted you with is not to be hoarded or used selfishly; it is a tool He can use to bless others when we are willing to sacrifice it.

One of the surest tests in our relationship with God involves our money. Jesus told us clearly that we can’t serve both, and yet somehow, for some reason, we still try to keep both as priorities. My view of money and my handling of money goes a long way in clarifying where I am in my relationship with God. This can certainly be seen in Sacrificial Giving.

Of course we all have Sundays when we wish we didn’t have to get out of bed, or get ready, or go to church, or serve in whatever capacity we serve. But we do. We get up, we go, we gather, we glory. Maybe we go because we have a biblical conviction to go. But one good reason to go is because we love it; we love our church. “I was glad when they said to me, ‘Let us go into the house of the Lord.’”

In February, we focus on love. Valentine’s Day is right there in the middle of the month. But early and late we ought to express our love to one another. One of the objects of love in my life is the love I have for my church, for my church family. Jesus loves the church; so much so that He died for her; so much so that one day she will be His bride. If Jesus loves the church, then I should love the church. And I especially ought to love my church.

The Pharisees, Sadducees, and Herodians all took their shot at Jesus. Each one challenged Him in some specific way. Of course, Jesus handled them all perfectly. But one of the things we learn through these episodes is that there is the question, obviously. But behind the question is the person asking the question. And in these cases the questions tell you more about the person asking them and you discover the motivation behind the questions themselves.

Behind every action, behind every word, is some kind of motive. Why do we do what we do? Why do we say what we say? There is a reason. Sometimes the reason is bland. Sometimes the reason is being helpful. But sometimes the reason is being harmful, or just being mean. For all the questions thrown at Jesus in Luke 20, there is a motive behind each one, and Jesus uses the end of the chapter to expose it.

You will not always be applauded for living a life of biblical convictions, not even among the brethren. But, according to Hebrews 10, God will be pleased as you do His will. And wouldn’t we rather have a life that pleases God rather than others? Rather than self, even? It will take convictional decisions.

Personal, biblical convictions are a necessary part of the Christian life, and they are a necessary underpinning for making good, godly, wise decisions. The life we live in 21st Century America demands that Christians establish convictions based on the authority of God’s Word that we may not be swept away in the flow of an anti-Christian culture.

Wouldn’t it be sad if the miracles of the Bible were not true? In today’s passage we meet a group of people who deny the miraculous power of God and who demonstrate a complete misunderstanding of the Bible. Where does their hope come from? What about God’s intervention in our circumstances? What about seeing our loved ones in heaven? What about our own salvation? Thank God, He is still in the miracle business.

Do you ever feel like you’re being ganged up on? Maybe it seems like everybody – at work, at home, even at church – like everybody is taking pot-shots at you? In Luke 20, each group of Jesus’ enemies have ganged up on Him trying to trip Him up and watch Him fall. The Pharisees and the Herodians have already taken a shot. Now it’s the Sadducees’ turn. But Jesus has had the right answers for each one, and He has the right answers for you.

James chapter 3 ends with a contrast being basing decisions on worldly, godless, natural wisdom versus facing those same decisions with heavenly, godly, supernatural wisdom. One is from below; the other is from above. And they couldn’t be more different. And the results will be different as well. God has provided everything you need to make right decisions.

Throw a rock in any direction and you’re likely to hit a TV show or a book that encourages you to “follow your heart.” But the prophet Isaiah was clear when he wrote, “The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked; who can know it?” Sometimes even church members – sometimes even preachers – offer the same worldly advice, and it is not from God. To make right decisions in this life, you need something more than your heart, something more than common sense to go on. You need wisdom from above.

This classic teaching of rendering unto Caesar the things that are Caesar’s and rendering unto God the things that are God’s is filled with profound truth against those who consider themselves better suited to run their own lives more than God. Just as Jesus corrected these people in Luke 20, He will correct us today.

We would never think about questioning Jesus’ integrity. If there is anyone who can be said to have integrity, it’s Jesus. And that’s true in all matters. Here in Luke 20, however, we find a group of people bent on challenging His integrity when it comes to money. This makes me want to take inventory of myself. Am I as honest in my financial dealings as I should be? Listen to what Jesus has to say about that.

The American economy is in a mess. The national debt is reported to be over $35 trillion. Many of our family finances are also in a mess. The average total debt per person in America is now over $60,000, with the total household debt being over $17 trillion. Many of our Dollar Decisions have been bad decisions, but the Bible shows us how to be content and how to be missional with the dollars God has entrusted to us.

Many of the decisions we make in life, even on a daily basis, deal with money. And many of us are convinced that if we just had more money that the decisions we have to make would be easier and that many of life’s problems would disappear. That’s not the case, though, is it? The Bible presents a different picture of money and gives us the proper perspective to make those Dollar Decisions.

Tucked away in this Parable of the Vineyard Owner is a truth that we need to be clear on. Jesus said of Himself as the Chief Cornerstone, “Whoever falls on that stone will be broken; but on whomever it falls, it will grind him to powder.” We need to be broken before Him; He wants us to be broken before Him. But none of us wants to be crushed. Neither does He want to bring that judgment on you. So, yield to Him, and see what wonderful things He will do through a broken vessel.

We would never think about questioning Jesus’ authority. Not out loud. But the religious leaders of His day did. They did it because His authority threatened theirs. And they were not willing to either lose their authority or bow down to His. We may not say it out loud, but we have a tendency to resist His authority over us too. Yield to Him. That which is for His glory is for your good.

Just because you have made dumb decisions in the past does not mean that you are stuck in those consequences. And just because you have made dumb decisions in the past does not mean that you are somehow incapable of making good decisions today. God offers an awful lot of grace and mercy to people just like us. Nevertheless, here is a warning against making rash decisions by a surprising Old Testament hero of the faith.

A local news station surveyed over 400 people, asking about their New Year’s resolutions for 2024. 59% said they want to save more money this year. 50% said they want to exercise more. 47% want to eat healthier, and 40% want to spend more time with family and friends. Which ones do you think will stick? Many people make rash decisions when it comes to New Year’s resolutions, and they don’t stick very well. Some rash decisions may be harmless, but some of the foolish choices we make in life can have devastating consequences, just like this one found in Judges, chapter 11.

Looking ahead to 2024, there will be a lot of things that we have no control over: world events, prices of things, even illnesses. But there are some things we do have control over: both how we respond to such things and how we prepare for the unknown. When Peter said that we are to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, there are some practical things we can do to Get More Out of 2024.

New Year’s Eve is a great time to reflect on the past year – what you’ve been through, what God has done, changes in life. But it is also a great time to look forward to what is ahead, or as Paul might say to “press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” Peter said we are to being growing in Christ. So what are some of those practical things we can do? Here are 6 ways to Get More Out of 2024.

The BC-world was a different place than we know. We like to think that everyone was anticipating the coming of Messiah. The reality was more like everyone looking out for themselves, living life, and just trying to get by. Life has to be more than that, though. Thank God for Christmas!

This sermon was preached on Christmas Eve, the day before Christmas. Have you ever given thought to what the world was like on the first Christmas Eve, the day before the first Christmas? For us it is a day of great expectations. But for the people in Bethlehem, it would have been a day filled with busy activities and little room for thinking about spiritual things.

What is your favorite song? We all seem to have one. Yours may be a different musical style than someone else, but it is still your favorite. It still the song that touches your heart more than any other song out there. Did you know that God has a favorite song? The prophet Zephaniah talks about Him singing, and he puts you right there in the middle of it.

 It is easy to imagine Jesus being the object and recipient of our worship, that when we sing, we sing TO Him and we sing ABOUT Him. Yet the Bible also says that Jesus Himself sings, that He sings in praise and worship. Right alongside His brethren, He lifts up His own voice and sings songs of worship to the One True Living God. That gives me all the more reason to sing in praise.

Christmas is the time we celebrate the coming of Messiah, or as Zechariah says, the coming of our King. When we think about the arrival of a king, we think parades and confetti and music. Our King came, and no one would have noticed if the angels had not told and the Wise Men had not been on the lookout for the star. Our King came quietly in humility. That’s because His birth wasn’t the focal point of His coming, but His death would be. 

We hear that Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year. What really makes it so wonderful is that it is a time for us to celebrate the incarnation, when God became a man. It is the most significant arrival in human history. No wonder we go to such lengths to celebrate it. Our King has come, just like God promised.

We continue our study Book-by-Book alphabetically through the Bible.  Tonight we look at the book of Titus.

We continue our study Book-by-Book alphabetically through the Bible.  Tonight we look at the book of Titus.

By asking the question, What do the people of puerto rico need the most, we aren't trying to single out Puerto Rico to the neglect of people in other places. In fact, the reality is that the most important needs are the same no matter where you go. But after visiting Puerto Rico in search of a mission partnership, this message is a response with that island of over 3 million people in mind.

Last week, Pastor Tim was a part of a vision trip to Puerto Rico with the North American Mission Board.  They spent two full days meeting with church planters aross the island.  They heard about the needs those church planters have and that the communities around them have. We are hoping to see if God might open up an avenue for missions partnership there.  This message is a response to his observations there.

The title track for Zach William’s Grammy Award winning album, Fear is a Liar, says this in its chorus: Fear, he is a liar / He will take your breath / Stop you in your steps / Fear he is a liar / He will rob your rest / Steal your happiness / Cast your fear in the fire / 'Cause fear he is a liar. God’s Words tells us that we can have freedom from fear, and Paul explains that to Timothy in his letter to him.

 Franklin Roosevelt famously said, “We have nothing to fear but fear itself.” That’s sounds good, but it’s not true. There are a multitude of things that strike fear in our hearts. But we do not have to be dominated by any of them. Paul tells his young protégé Timothy that God has not given him – nor us – a spirit of fear, but He has given us everything we need to find freedom from fear.

Because certain people are not pastors or deacons in their church, they assume that they have a free pass on the required character qualities found in 1 Timothy 3. The reality is that these qualities are to be the description of every Christian. Paul refers to these simply as faithful men. Do you want to be a faithful man or a faithful woman in your church? Then you need to measure up to 1 Timothy 3.

God has called you to service. You may say, “Not me. I’m not a preacher or a missionary.” You may or may not be called to a full-time, professional church staff kind of ministry or even to some far-off place to serve as a missionary. But you have been called. And that calling requires something of you. That’s what Paul addresses with young Timothy in his very first letter to him.

People who grieve say it’s like living in a constant fog. Nothing sounds right, looks right, even smells right or tastes right; nothing feels right. They are like an unpowered ship being battered by the waves of emotion and the waves of life. That person needs an anchor. This message is designed for those who need that anchor even more so during the holidays. This message is for you.

 Twenty-five or so years ago, a lady in our church was struggling, and could not get beyond, the death of her sister. As the holidays approached, she became more and more withdrawn. She needed her church family in a special kind of way. So we hosted an Honor and Remembrance Service for her and others like her. We have now hosted such a service every year since, because we recognize that there are hurting people who just don’t know if they can make it through this first Thanksgiving and Christmas without their loved one. These people need their church family, and they need a word of hope from the Word of God. If you are grieving the loss of a loved one, then know that this message is designed especially for you.

There are some things that only God can do. We can’t manufacture it. We can’t mimic it. And we’d better not miss it. I really do believe that God likes to work in such a way that only He can get the credit, the glory, for what has been done. I know that He doesn’t like to share His glory with anyone or anything else. So, let God work through you, blessing you, and make sure that you give thanks and glory right back to Him.

Sometimes we begin a church service with prayer, and sometimes we close a church service with prayer. Often, we do both. But in the second Book that Paul writes to the church in Thessalonica, right in the very center, the very middle, Paul inserts a prayer. It is a Prayer of Blessing. He reminds the church of how God has blessed them in the past, and he asks God to bless them in the future. This is our prayer for you, our faithful listeners.

Have you been born again? Are you a disciple, a follower, of Christ? Then the Great Commission is your mission. You and I are to work together to take the gospel of Jesus Christ to the entire world, starting right here wherever we are. God has made us stewards of that gospel-message, having entrusted it to us. That’s a serious challenge to be Entrusted with the Gospel.

The means by which God will get the gospel from one generation to the next is the same scheme He has used since Jesus rose from the dead. It’s for people who know Him to introduce Him to people who need to know Him. That’s Plan A. And there is no Plan B. He has entrusted you with the Gospel. Now, what will you do with it?

Solomon poetically pictured for us the majesty of a royal wedding. Kings and queens, princes and princesses have tried to mimic it. But there is only one wedding that really makes what we read in the Song of Solomon pale in comparison, and that’s the marriage of the Lamb and His bride, the church. It certainly will be heavenly.

Weddings are special. Little girls dream about them; teen girls formulate them; young ladies plan them. Their wedding day is a day like no other. It is anticipated with great excitement. As well it should be. Solomon and his bride’s was that kind of day, too. It was a royal spectacle, a wedding fit for a king. And that’s the common denominator in all these weddings: the beauty and magnificence of the bride.

Dr. Harris completed 15 years as editor of the nation's oldest continuously published Christian newspaper on June 23. He began his stint as editor in 2003 after nine years as pastor of Eastside Baptist Church in Marietta.

In addition to serving as pastor of Peachtree Corners Baptist Church in Norcross, he had served as pastor of churches in North and South Carolina as well as Mississippi. Harris is a former president of the Georgia Baptist Convention and served on several key committees of the Southern Baptist Convention.

Dr. Harris completed 15 years as editor of the nation's oldest continuously published Christian newspaper on June 23. He began his stint as editor in 2003 after nine years as pastor of Eastside Baptist Church in Marietta.

In addition to serving as pastor of Peachtree Corners Baptist Church in Norcross, he had served as pastor of churches in North and South Carolina as well as Mississippi. Harris is a former president of the Georgia Baptist Convention and served on several key committees of the Southern Baptist Convention.

God’s grace goes overboard. God’s grace lavishes on us blessings that we do not deserve. God’s grace doesn’t treat us like the dead dog we view ourselves to be, but God’s grace treats us like sons of the one true king. God’s grace takes us from the middle of nowhere and gives us a rightful place in the palace. God’s grace is God’s goodness showered on us because of Who He is. God’s grace is amazing.

One of the most popular Christian hymns of all time is Amazing Grace. Not only is the tune memorable, but the words are so meaningful. It is a song that nearly everyone can relate to:
  Amazing grace how sweet the sound / That saved a wretch like me
  I once was lost, but now I'm found / Was blind but now I see

There may not be a more beautiful picture of God’s Amazing Grace than in the story of David and Mephibosheth. A crippled boy, literally living in the middle of nowhere, impoverished, who views himself as a “dead dog” is carried to the palace, treated like the prince he truly is, and eats at the king’s table for the rest of his days.

One of the most bizarre passages is also one of the most difficult to truly understand. It is a passage that produces more questions than provides answers. It is a weird story of seances, witches, ghosts, demons, and the simpletons who are drawn into their trap. Christian, let God’s Word provide you with a warning that you will do well to heed.

As Halloween draws nearer, people seem to be even more interested in macabre things. Television channels host marathons of horror movies. Evil tends to be on display. And people are drawn towards those things that deal with the occult. Even Christians. It is a magnetic draw. But it is a maze without an exit. The Bible provides us with a warning to stay away from such things, and surprisingly we find a passage in 1 Samuel 28 that deals with “Witches, Ghosts, and the Supernatural.”

Without a doubt, the key word in the Book of Ruth is the word redemption. It is used nine times in the first six verses of this fourth and final chapter. Ruth’s cultural redemption is so closely aligned with our spiritual redemption, that the common threads are easy to trace. Boaz was Ruth’s kinsman redeemer; Jesus is our Kinsman Redeemer.

The Book of Ruth is the true and iconic story of love, devotion, and redemption set in the context of a very wicked world. The Moabitess Ruth is the title character, and it’s fair to say that she is the main character. The hero of the story, however, is Boaz, who is a picture of Christ, our Hero, our Kinsman-Redeemer.

Growing up in church, I was familiar with the term, the Roman Road, and I knew that it was a means of explaining the gospel. And yet I had no idea what that road was or the verses that might be involved. But I knew that I needed to know. So I sat down with my Bible and just began marking verses that seemed important to share with someone who needed salvation. Let’s take a journey down that road together.

Have you ever heard someone say, “I’ve got some good news and some bad news?” Which one do they usually lead with? Which one would you lead with? The Bible gives us the bad news before it gives us the good news. And both are a part of the gospel. Really, before a person is ready to hear and understand the good thing that God has done for him, he must recognize and understand the bad thing that he has done to God.

This recent and unparalleled attack on Israel has reminded us that what the Bible says about the End Times is real, is capable of happening in our lifetime, and is set on God’s timetable. Though it prompts many questions within us, there is one that is immediately applicable: What should be the responding action of a Christian? Of an American Christian? Let’s discover how the Bible answers that question.

On October 7, fifty years since the last time, the Iranian-backed Palestinian militant group Hamas claimed to have fired 5,000 rockets into Israel, killing and wounding thousands, many of them civilians. The attack caused Prime Minister Netanyahu to declare, “We are at war.” This has both imminent and prophetic implications. So, what does the Bible have to say about this?

We look for, and we long for, the return of Christ. As we turn to the final page of the Bible, we discover that He said He would come quickly. We also hear the Holy Spirit say, “Come.” And we hear the Church say to Him, “Come.” And the one who hears and the one who thirsts and the one who desires all bid Him to come. The question becomes, Are you ready? Like we used to play as children, “Ready or not, here He comes.”

Jesus IS coming back. That’s for sure. I once heard someone say, “The best way to live in light of the second coming is to live like the first coming mattered.” Jesus came and gave His life as a ransom for ours. He died for us; we are to live for Him. And as we edge ever closer to the day of His return, we are live lives of obedience and intimacy with Christ.

One of the most iconic pictures of Jesus is as the Good Shepherd toting a sheep across His shoulders. David, being a shepherd, is able to paint of picture of God as that kind of Good Shepherd carrying His people through life’s difficulties. Maybe you need a reminder that you have a shepherd. Jesus said, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep.” I am glad the Lord is My Good Shepherd.

The 23rd Psalm has brought comfort to a lot of people for generations. One reason is it is a passage often used at funerals. But David doesn’t write this for a funeral, and he certainly doesn’t write it for the departed. He writes it for us as we live day-by-day in this world. It is an acknowledgement that I don’t face life alone; God is always by my side.

Ark-in-the-Park is the name of our church’s annual Halloween outreach event. For the last 24 years we have defined Ark-in-the-Park as “a safe, Christ-centered, trick-or-treating alternative, where kids will get more candy and have more fun than if they went anywhere else.” And at the heart of Ark-in-the-Park is the gospel. We share it with everyone who attends. We share the gospel in tract form. We share the gospel in one-on-one conversations at a Good News Tent. We share the gospel through public preaching. Why do we do it? Because winning souls is wise.

The Book of Proverbs is a Book about Wisdom. It is in the Wisdom category of Bible Books. It is written by the wisest man who has ever lived. Passing along wisdom is the chief purpose of the Book, just as Solomon writes the opening lines: “To know wisdom and instruction.” And this wise man says to us that winning souls is wise. We would do well to learn this lesson, The Wisdom of the Soulwinner.

“Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” What a powerful passage, and what a beautiful name!

Names matter. Names have meaning, and they are meaningful to those who wear them. But no name matters more or is more meaningful than the most important, most inclusive, most irresistible name, most inspirational name, the name of Jesus. The Bible says His name is highly exalted, so let’s exalt the name of Jesus as we think through this verse highlighting The Sweetest Name I Know.

 In the Book of Philemon we find Paul in a very delicate situation as he deals with two people he dearly loves in the Lord. He wants both to do the right thing, but doesn’t want to bring hurt to either. How Paul works with both these men is a life-lesson for us on How to be a Good Influencer.

Today we have social media influencers, and it is full-time, lucrative work. Influencers promote themselves by promoting products and causes. Khaby Lame is the most followed and highest paid influencer through TikTok and Instagram – the 23 year old has a net worth of $13 million. And audiences eat up his influence. You may not make a million dollars, but you can make an influence on others that will last for eternity.

 If Christ will soon rapture His church, and God will pour out His wrath on this world in great tribulation, then the question Peter asks is a good one: “What manner of persons ought you to be?” Francis Shaffer asked it this way: “How shall we then live?” If these are indeed the Last Days, shouldn’t we live with awareness and with authenticity?

When I was a child, I saw the Hal Lindsey movie, The Late Great Planet Earth, and it terrified me. The Bible’s revelation of the Last Days are not meant to be a terror to God’s people – in fact, Paul said, “Encourage one another with these words.” Now, for the unbeliever, a study of the Last Days should be taken as a warning, but the believer should receive it as a wake-up call. Today’s headlines leave little doubt that these are indeed the Last Days.

As children we sang, I may never march in the infantry / Ride in the cavalry / Shoot the artillery / I may never shoot for the enemy / But I'm in the Lord's army! Then we’d shout, Yes, Sir! You are indeed a soldier in the Lord’s Army. And we go to battle every day. Sadly, the front lines are in every direction. But gladly, “Greater is He Who is in me than he who is in the world!”

You have an enemy. And it’s not a member of your family. Neither is it a church member you don’t get along with. It is the devil. Not the cartoon one with the red union suit and pitchfork, but the real one. The Bible says that he skulks this earth hunting down Christians whom he can devour. The good news is that he doesn’t have any new tricks in his bag, plus he is already defeated. Nevertheless, you are living Behind Enemy Lines, and you need to fight the right fight.

 I once heard Adrian Rogers tell the story of a frog watching a gaggle of geese prepare to fly south for the winter. The frog asked to go with them, but the geese said they had no way of toting him. So the frog gathered one long, sturdy stick, and asked one goose to put one end in his mouth and another goose to put the other end in his mouth. Then the frog could hold on with his mouth to the middle of the stick, and they could carry him down south with them. Everything was going well when a farmer below saw what was going on, and the farmer said, “That’s the most ingenious thing I have ever seen. I wonder whose idea that was.” And the frog said, “Miiiiiiiiiiine.” When we are filled with pride, we will surely fall to its peril.

Do you know what made the devil the devil? And what made Adam eat that fruit? And what has been the cause of every war, every conflict, even every argument in the home? It is pride. Pride is dangerous. And the Bible says that God hates our pride. So, why do we struggle with it so much? Because we’ve not learned just how perilous pride really is.

You may wish that God would give you a cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night to guide you in the ways He wants you to go. Actually, He has given you something better. He has given you Himself, His Spirit, living inside of you, never leaving you and never forsaking you, being with you always even to the end of the age. And He has given you His Word, complete and errorless, as a lamp to your feet and a light to your path. You have God’s Guiding Presence.

Some foodie once said, “When you come to a fork in the road, take the fork.” Seriously though, what do you do when you come to one of life’s forks in the road? Maybe that fork is about moving to a new town or maybe taking a new job or saying yes to a proposal. How do you know what you’re supposed to do? God answered that for His wandering people by giving them Himself, by guiding them with His presence. He showed up as a cloud during the day and as a pillar of fire at night. His presence left no doubt as to what they should do.

An amazing declaration ends Nehemiah 10. The people say, “We will not neglect the house of our God.” In the same ways that they meant that, we should mean that. The issues they address are the very issues dearest to us today. Let’s not neglect His house. I think you’ll see that your life is the better for it.

God had been good to Nehemiah and his people – He had been miraculously good to them. So they rightly decided to live a life of gratitude and obedience to the Lord. They even signed a covenant among themselves committing themselves to a godly lifestyle. As they came to the end of what that covenant contained, they declared, “We will not neglect the house of our God.” Should we choose to live a godly, obedient, grateful life, we too would declare, “We will not neglect the house of our God.”

Nahum’s prophecy comes against a people whom God had delivered from judgment and saved just a century earlier. One of the most remarkable revivals and spiritual awakenings occurred in Nineveh following the preaching of Jonah. Now, they have gotten away from the Lord and have once again become oppressors of His people. And it is the character of God that causes Him to act on their behalf.

Sometimes when we read the Bible, we like to cut to the parts that appear to be more personally applicable. The parts that speak to our situation. The commands we are given to follow. The warning we had best avoid. But the Scriptures primarily reveal to us the character and nature of God. Maybe those are portions to ponder. It is important to identify the character of our God.

 From the deepest, darkest hole, you can find help from the One True Living God. From the most barren, isolated island, you still have a Friend who sticks closer than a brother. Don’t fool yourself or waste your time waiting for the systems of this world to come to your rescue. There is One Savior, One Deliverer, One Rescuer. From Him you should seek help. When you’re hanging on by a thread, Where DOES Your Help Come From?

Jesus said, “In this world, you will have trouble.” And we have learned even from personal experience that that is true. The question is not whether you will have trouble; the question concerns where you will seek help in the midst of your trouble. Too many people look to themselves or someone – or something – in this world as the source of their help. Why would they look to the very thing that brought them the trouble rather than the One who not only said, “In this world, you will have trouble,” but finished it by saying, “But I have overcome the world.” Where Does Your Help Come From?

Jesus said that we are the salt of the earth and the light of the world. Among the many marvelous things that salt does, it is a preservative. We are the preservative in a world that is decaying morally right in front of our very eyes. God’s answer is not in the White House, but in the church house. Live the salt-life.

Jesus said that we are the salt of the earth and the light of the world. Among the many marvelous things that salt does, it is a preservative. We are the preservative in a world that is decaying morally right in front of our very eyes. God’s answer is not in the White House, but in the church house. Live the salt-life.

Feeling both scared and powerless is familiar to those who received a bad diagnosis or those who have lost a job or those whose wayward child has run away. Your circumstances don’t take God by surprise. He has already prepared you to face that circumstance by faith, by trusting Him. That’s the Lesson of the Loaves that every believer needs to learn.

There may not be a more desperate feeling than the combination of being scared and powerless. The disciples found themselves in that condition in the middle of a storm at sea. Yes, Jesus came to their rescue, but the truth is that He had already prepared them to face that storm with faith through what He had done by feeding the 5,000. The Bible says they had not understood about the loaves, but you can. You can Learn from the Loaves.

Marriage God’s way may not be easy, but it is blessed. It is easier to build a home with His blessing than it is to fight God and try to hold on in your own strength. The prophet Malachi has some straight-forward news about God’s feelings on this subject.

The Christian home is under attack. It always has been. But the enemy is no longer launching sneak attacks but full-frontal terroristic attacks. And he comes at us from a variety of angles. There is no shortage of those who attempt to undermine God’s plan for marriage. But be strong. This is a fight you are in. And this is a fight you can win.

It is in this episode of eternal interaction between Jesus and the wee little man, Zacchaeus, that we hear Jesus declare His mission loud and clear: “The Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.” That’s good news for Zacchaeus; that’s good news for us.

We learned the song about Zacchaeus, a wee little man, way back in preschool, but the Bible story isn’t kid-sized. It’s God-sized. It is the story of how God intentionally brings salvation to the life of a person everyone else had counted out. We get to see desire and determination fleshed out in this story, the desire and determination of both Zacchaeus and the Lord Jesus.

The scapegoat is a vivid image of God’s vast forgiveness. To place the sins of the people symbolically on that goat then have it sent out into the wilderness so far that it never returns and is never found reminds us that our sins are removed from us as far as the east is from the west. And that was done for us not by a goat who was a mere symbol, but of Christ who literally bore our sins in His own body on that tree. It is the Cross of Christ that provides us with real atonement.

 Arguably, the greatest of all the Jewish feasts and holidays is Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. Every year, the High Priest would enter the Holy of Holies with the blood of the sacrifice and pour it onto the Mercy Seat, providing atonement for himself, the Temple, and all the people. But there is far more to that day than that simplistic explanation. Let’s explore it deeper that we may see the Day of Atonement through the eyes of the Cross of Christ.

Lamentations is such a unique Book. Its name reveals to me that it’s not going to be a carnival ride. But right in the middle of this book of tears, is the gladdest, most joyful set of verses you’ll find anywhere. These verse spark hope in the midst of darkness. It is in those times we learn that great indeed is God’s faithfulness.

We have lived long enough to know that Jesus was telling the truth when He said in the Sermon on the Mount, “Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” Every day brings its challenges, and some of them are so overwhelming that we don’t really know how to move forward. Here is good news: God’s mercies, God’s compassion, God’s faithfulness is new every morning. The mercy and the compassion and the faithfulness you need from God is available to you every day.

Elijah’s departure from this life in a God-sent chariot of fire sweeping him up into heaven is marvelous and miraculous and a model for what the Rapture of the Church will be like one day. Even as far back as the Old Testament, God was already preparing His people for the day that He will call us all home. What a way to go that will be!

We all know that we will one day leave this life. But when and where and how all remain a mystery. Elijah was given insight into his departure, and he made the most of his last day on earth. How would you spend your final day if you knew it was your final day? Hopefully, we would do the things that matter most for eternity.

Why did God answer Elijah’s wild request? He was about to show all these false prophets, all their followers, and all the world that He and He alone is the One True Living God. Make no mistake, when the Showdown on Mount Carmel is over, God’s Name is Exalted, God’s Prophet is Exonerated, and God’s Enemies are Executed.

Of all the Old Testament prophets, Elijah may be the most well-known. And of all the miracles Elijah performed, calling down fire from heaven may be the most well-known. But a review of him and his story reveal to us greater insights that we learned as children when we were first told this story. It is a showdown between good and evil, between God and Satan. It is a Showdown on Mount Carmel.

 No mistake is so big that God can’t forgive it. That is a fact of life and a fact of grace. There are, however, mistakes that are so big that no one wants to repeat them. And it seems like Samson made them all. Charles Stanley called Samson a he-man with a she-weakness. The truth is that Samson was so self-absorbed that he became weak in so many areas of his life. Here are Ten Mistakes Sure to Bring Regret and that we sure don’t want to repeat.

We all make mistakes. And we have all learned that some mistakes are worse than others. Some have such lingering consequences that you beg others not to make the same mistakes that you have. That is the case with Samson. He made so many mistakes, and God’s Word uses his story to beg us not to make the same mistakes he did. Here are Ten Mistakes Sure to Bring Regret.

A Christian may FEEL empty, but in reality, a Christian never IS empty. Jesus promised that He would never leave nor forsake us, that He would be with us always, even to the end of the age. The Holy Spirit lives inside of us, and we will never be absent from Him ever again. He provides us with fulfillment. So, Christian, stop Running on Empty.

Choosing to follow Christ and live obediently to His Word really is the path to happiness and fulfillment and satisfaction in this life. But when we get away from Him, we lose that power, and quicker than we can blink, we are running on empty. And then we feel empty. That is what Jude warns us about in his little Book.

It is true that the church is made up of its people, that the members provide examples to this generation and to the next. And so a church that is blessed with godly, active, faithful members is blessed with examples worthy of following. If the church has someone like Demetrius or Gaius, they need to let that rub off on the rest of the church family. That’s the kind of church member everyone wants and needs.

A church is not brick and mortar. It is not the pulpit, the platform, or the pews. It is the people who make that church their home, the individuals within the church family. Church members give their church the reputation it has within the community. So, a few bad apples can certainly spoil the whole barrel. If the church allows someone like Diotrophes to lead, the church may suffer the Ichabod designation from God. This is the kind of church member we want to avoid becoming.

Accountability is important in the Christian life. A great place to foster accountability is within your church family. They can keep me from doing what I ought not do, and they can keep me on the right track doing what I should. Everybody needs a church family. We encourage you, our faithful listeners, to find a church that you can call home with a group of people you can call your church family.

Too many people think that church membership is not important. And as our culture turns more and more secular, the idea of voluntarily covenanting with one another in Christian fellowship becomes less and less essential in our lives. “Church” becomes something you go to when you don’t have anything else to do rather than the church being who we are. But as the culture moves in that direction, My Church Family becomes even more crucial to my daily life.

When you read the Bible, do you ever think, “God is speaking right to me?” Why one passage may speak to you more than another has to do with God’s purposes for revealing Himself the way that He has. It also may have to do with the reason the writer writes. Called by God to do so, yes. Inspired by God to do so, yes. But he also hopes to stir you and move you to obedience. John is gracious enough to tell us his reasons for putting pen to paper.

Do you ever wonder why the Bible was written in the first place? Why would God inspire so many different writers in so many different places over so many years to write down what He Himself was authoring? He gave each one of those writers a sense of purpose about the mission to which He was calling them. And sometimes we can see what they hoped would be accomplished. And then sometimes, the writer just comes right out and tells us. John does that. He gives us Reasons for Writing.

 Despite what some cults say, Jesus did indeed claim to be God. But really, anyone could make such a claim. But no one can back up that claim other than Jesus. He provided proof throughout John, chapter 5, as verification that His claim was indeed true. May this message help you answer the question, “But who do you say that I am?”

To read the writings of our Founding Fathers leaves us with no doubt that many of them were born-again believers who sought to found a nation upon the principles of God’s Word, the Bible, and upon the Person of God’s Son, Jesus Christ. What we believe about Who Jesus is really does matter. The question is the same one that Jesus asked His disciples: “But who do YOU say that I am?”

The Prophet Joel saw the need for revival among God’s people in his day; do we see the need for revival among God’s people in our own day? The Prophet Joel received the promise from God that He would send a sweeping revival in the future; will we believe and trust the promise of God to send revival to His people? The Prophet Joel could see with eyes of faith God sending revival to His people; will we look with eyes of faith for God to send that revival to us? We sure do need it.

The greatest need of the church today is not more money, not more members, ministry opportunities, not more mission outlets. The greatest need of the church today is revival. Our nation needs spiritual awakening; our churches need a revival of the presence and power and glory of God.

 A critical spirit leads to lonely people. Don’t you try to avoid those kinds of people? We all do. But criticism is like a magnet that draws people with problems. And we all have problems, so we are all subjected to its appeal. But beware; it will leave you lonely and broken. Beware the Spirit of Criticism and let God do His soothing, healing work in your life.

Because a critical spirit is so often confused with a person being a pessimist or even a fatalist, because we equate it with having a negative attitude, we tend to think of a spirit of criticism as a personality quirk and we let it go unchecked. Yet a spirit of criticism can invade and quickly conquer an entire family or church or job site. And the devastation that is left is a scattering of broken lives. So, Beware the Spirit of Criticism.

While clay is still wet, it is moldable, and the potter can fashion it in any number of directions. But once that clay dries, it is far more difficult to change. And once it has been through the kiln’s fires, it can only be discarded. Jeremiah learns that God deals similarly with His people. Let’s remain pliable in our Maker’s hands.

Watching a potter do his work is both fascinating and soothing. What had been just a chunk of clay becomes something recognizable and useful right before your eyes. That clay, throughout that process, may be altered and reshaped a number of times. The potter works it until it becomes just what he has in mind. Obviously, there are numerous spiritual lessons. Let’s examine a few that Jeremiah was shown.

Pastor Tim tells us often how he was sitting on a log in the north Georgia mountains reading James, chapter 1, when the Holy Spirit of God finally broke through his callousness, and saved him. In just 2 more months, that will have been 40 years ago. In the second half of this message, Pastor Tim tells us his story again, and relays how what God did for him, He’ll do for you.

The Bible is God’s greatest treasure that we have on this earth. It is the Word of God, the complete revelation of Himself, of us, of our need, and of His solution. There we learn His purpose for us and His purpose for His entire creation. So, why do we treat the Bible with such contemptible familiarity? James encourages us to do more than that, and to see our lives transformed.

Andy wells message Part 2

Andy Wells message Part 1.

To me, one of the most majestic songs in the very lengthy Christian playlist is the song, “Lift High the Lord Our Banner.” It just sounds like a proper, royal, processional song. But it also carries a weighty message. Moses named an alter, Jehovah-Nissi, The Lord is My Banner. I lift that banner high for two reasons: 1) because I am rightly-proud to be His child, and 2) because I want others to see Who I belong to and see that they can belong to Him too.

The flag of the United States is the banner that indicates that we are Americans. In Vacation Bible School, we use the Christian flag as a banner that we are believers. Pennants that baseball teams win are banners to indicate that that team is a champion. A string pennant is a series of banners to let you know that you’ve entered a Used Car Lot.

One of God’s names or titles is Jehovah-Nissi. It means The Lord is My Banner. It is an indication that He is my God and that I am His child.

 Plenty of people feel unloved and unwanted. And some really are. God shows His people in very graphic terms the way that He loves them despite their unfaithfulness toward Him and their rejection of Him. If you feel unwanted and unloved, know that God fully understands that, and He has done everything necessary to draw you close to Himself. He loves you.

The directions given to the prophet Hosea by God are some of the strangest you could imagine. God tells his holy-man to marry an unfaithful woman, both of them knowing that she will continue to be unfaithful after the wedding. Sure enough, she fills Hosea’s house with children who are not his. God uses this very scenario to teach His people a lesson they may not learn any other way. Despite their waywardness with Him, God still loves them and still provides for them.

 Hebrews, chapter 11, catalogues Old Testament saints who trusted God and acted accordingly. It called for great courage on their part. After listing 16 such saints by name, the writer of Hebrews reminds us that there are many, many more by saying, “Still others…” It is the group of others that we could easily find ourselves among as we clash courageously with the culture around us.

When we think about the Greatest Generation, one word that is often used to describe those men and women is the word courage. They faced difficulties subsequent generations only read about. Much of that had to do with war. You and I, friend, are at war, a war for the souls of men and women and boys and girls. One word that describes what this generation of Christians need is courage.

David the shepherd, David the fugitive, even David the King found himself in trouble often…and usually from his own making.  Most of us can identify with that.  The good news for David was that he sought help from the right source: from God.  When you’re in trouble, where do you turn for help.  This is one of those times we’d say, “Be like David. Ask God for Help.”

Lifeway's Vacation Bible School curriculum this year is titledTwists and Turns.  The verse the children are asked to memorize is Psalm 25:4 - "Show me your ways, O Lord; Teach me Your paths."  This not just a passage for children; it is also applicable for adults.  As Britt David prepares for VBS, Pastor Tim preaches on this passage for children and adults... and for you, our podcast friends.

When we consider our ways, we are forced to consider God’s ways. And when we consider God’s ways, that turns us right around shedding light on our ways that we might consider and change. When the church gets ahold of the message of Haggai, the church will be a dominate force in this wayward world.

The Book of Haggai is a stout and powerful little Book. It’s message is so strong. And though it is an Old Testament Book written by an Old Testament prophet about a historic Old Testament event, It is just as much a message to a New Testament church. It decries our complacency, and it declares our course of action. Repeatedly the prophet quotes the Lord of hosts, saying, “Consider Your Ways.”

Imagine being a major league baseball player, standing in the batter’s box, with a pitcher a mere sixty feet six inches away from you, ready to throw a 100 mph fastball. Aroldis Chapman has thrown the fastest pitch recorded at 105 mph. He has thrown 273 pitches over 103 mph. And he has hit 30 batters. Still want to stand in there? What you do at the plate matters. More so if you’re in the batter’s box concerning the gospel. What you do matters. The rich young ruler ends up the saddest strikeout ever, but you could hit a home run by saying yes to Jesus.

Atlanta Braves starting pitcher, Spencer Strider has burst onto the scene. He surpassed John Smoltz and now holds the franchise record for most strikeouts in a game. He is becoming a modern-day strikeout king. But it is the three swings and misses by the rich, young ruler that makes his the saddest strikeout ever. His failure doesn’t lead to the loss of a mere game; his has eternal consequences. This is the Saddest Strikeout.

Adrian Rogers said, “We may not know that God is enough until God is all you have.” Sadly, the only way to learn that lesson is through loss. Yet God proves Himself to be faithful and to be all that we need. Habakkuk learned that lesson, and you can too.

Habakkuk, though such a small and seemingly hidden Book, is one of the most appropriate Books to speak to our American culture today. What Habakkuk’s people are going through, and what they have done, has been paralleled by our society. But what should make us sigh in exasperation can still allow us to sing in exaltation.

When Jesus said to Jerusalem that He wanted to draw them close to Himself like a mother-hen wants to gather her chicks close to her, He expressed the heart of every godly mother: to pray protection and guidance on her children. Praise God for the godly mothers who pray with and for their children.

Many of us have enjoyed the privilege and the blessings of having a godly, praying mother. God placed within females the notion toward rearing and nurturing children. That doesn't mean that moms are only interested in the physical necessities and comforts of life; a godly mother knows that the spiritual part of life is equally important. On this Mother's Day, consider a mother's prayer.

Transgenderism is a real and vocal part of today’s culture. Jesus reminds us in His High-Priestly Prayer that though we are in the world, we are not of this world. So how do we represent Jesus in a post-modern, anti-Christian world that embraces a vast departure from a foundational truth?

When we study Genesis, we can’t help but study Creation. When we study Creation, we can’t help but study God making man in His own image. When we study God making man in His own image, we can’t help but see how far we have departed from this Holy God. And that departure is magnified in our setting today.

Every generation since the Apostle Paul has believed that the Rapture of the Church and the Second Coming of Christ would occur in their lifetimes. And we do too. In fact, we find it difficult to believe that He would or could linger much longer. Yet, in mercy and in grace, He tarries. But the day is coming when He will wait no longer.

We Christians tend to think of the Rapture of the Church and the Second Coming of Christ in ideal, happy terms. And for us, it will be a happy time indeed. But for unbelievers, it will be a day of solemn and severe judgment. And that is the thrust of the warning found at the close of Luke 17.

In the movie Tombstone, Doc Holliday shows up beside the Earp brothers at a gunfight despite his violent coughing. Without the vulgarities, Jack Johnson says, “Doc, you ought to be in bed. What you doin’ this for, anyway?” Doc simply replies, “Wyatt Earp is my friend,” to which Johnson says, “I got lots of friends.” Doc Holliday’s line is so good. He says, “I don’t.” Wouldn’t you like to have a friend like that? Someone who is there when you need them, no matter what? Then you ought to be a friend like that. After all, A Friend in Need Needs a Friend Indeed.

Michael W Smith sang that friends are friends forever if the Lord’s the Lord of them. That means in good times and in bad. That means when even when my friend makes bad choices. That means even when my friend has stopped walking in fellowship with God. I need to be the faithful friend who helps my fallen friend the way Jesus helps me.

What do you typically find in your mailbox? Political flyers? Advertisements for things you just don’t want? Coupon booklets? Bills, which are the worst? Do you ever get to pull out a handwritten thank-you note? That’ll change your whole day. And you can do that for somebody. In fact, Christians ought to be so filled with gratitude that we become walking, talking, Living Thank-You Notes.

There is a small, two-word phrase that never gets old, one that everyone likes to hear. This little sentence is so big that it has the power to turn around even the worst of days. Anybody can say it, and everybody ought to say it. Here it comes: Thank you. What potent words! And if there is anyone qualified to say it, it should be believers. Thank-yous to God; thank-yous to others. Powerful!

Brokenness is likely the most overlooked and most underrated ingredient in revival. Yet revival doesn’t come without brokenness. We are so resistant to the very thing that could set us free from our bondage. Hear Ezra crying out for revival, then let’s follow his example.

We pray for revival, but how often do we cry out for revival? Literally, can you remember when you last wept over your own condition or the condition of your community or country? Maybe because we don’t take things as far as Ezra did is why we don’t see the results Ezra saw.

Healthy, living things grow. That certainly includes our bodies, but it also includes our faith. Your faith in Christ ought to be growing. The Bible describes some people as having no faith at all, while others have genuine faith. Others are said to have strong faith, while still others can have perfect faith. Is your faith growing? Maybe you would ask Jesus, like the disciples did, to increase your faith.

You may have heard someone say to you, “If you just had enough faith, then you wouldn’t be in the situation you are in.” Jesus spoils that advice in Luke 17 when the disciples ask Him to increase their faith. It’s not the size of your faith that makes the difference; it’s the object of your faith. And He will make all the difference in the world.

One of the greatest potential tragedies in all the Bible is found in the Book of Ezekiel. God uses the example of a sentry who neglects to do his duty. Though he sees the danger, he fails to warn the people counting on him. God uses that to warn us, His people, that we must be faithful in evangelizing our world. The Christian musician Carmen once said, “This generation of Christians is responsible for this generation of sinners.”

On today’s podcast, Pastor Tim opens up with a personal and painful story of failure and unkept promises. This story echoes in his heart and compels him to do better. Likely, his story will resonate with many of you. May we all be more faithful witnesses for the Lord Jesus. 

Jesus said that it is impossible for you to live in this world and not get offended. It happens to Christians; it happens to non-Christians. But as a Christian, how do you navigate through such murky, turbulent water? Jesus has just the answer for When You are Offended.

Obviously, there are legitimate times when people are offended. But we live in a culture of hypersensitivity where it feels like everything is offensive to someone somewhere. So we walk on egg shells. Or we dive into the natural response to all this, what we call the Cancel Culture. But that’s not a biblical response, so let’s hear what Jesus has to say on the subject.

When the two disciples walked along the road to Emmaus, they were joined by the resurrected Christ. The Bible says that starting in the Old Testament, Jesus explained to them the Scriptures and how they related to Him. Then the Bible says that their hearts burned within them. If you will give Jesus your heart, He will make it warm towards the things that really matter in life.

Do you remember the first time you discovered that the chocolate bunny in your Easter basket was hollow? It’s so disappointing! Imagine, then, discovering that your own heart is hollow. Many people go through life feeling empty. They say we all have a God-shaped vacuum in our hearts that only He can fill. Why not let Jesus fill your heart?

When we say that the Old Testament prophesies and pictures for us what God will perform in the New Testament, that statement is no truer than when we look at Passover. It is an Old Testament feast filled – FILLED – with New Testament truth. We get to see God’s provision of salvation in pictures.

Passover is such an important feast for Abraham’s children. It celebrated their deliverance from Egypt. Paul said that Christ is OUR, a Christian’s, Passover, and that we too are to celebrate the feast with sincerity and truth. May you, Christian, be blessed as you see your faith come alive with these Pictures in the Passover.

When life seems like it is too stressful, too chaotic, too troubling, even too frightening, remember that God is still on His throne and He orchestrates the events of life. The story of Esther stands as a tribute to that truth. Let’s continue walking through it chapter-by-chapter.

The Book of Esther is the story of a Great Deliverance from a Grave Danger. It is the story of God providentially protecting and preserving His people and thus the line of Christ. Let’s walk through it chapter-by-chapter.

You cannot afford to get it wrong when it comes to Heaven and Hell. The loss is too much. The torment is too great. And eternity is too long. Hell was created for Satan and for his demons, not for you. And not for your family. And not for your friends. Give your heart to Jesus, and then tell everyone how they can, too.

Fewer people say that they believe in Hell than in Heaven. Yet both have to be real, and both have to be eternal – that’s in keeping with the attributes of God. But because people don’t treat Hell as if it is real, they don’t treat it as if it is serious. And there is not a more serious, a more sobering, subject than Hell.

When we pray for one another, we often pray for physical needs. Of course there is nothing wrong with praying for one another’s physical needs, but Paul goes deeper as he prays for the Church in Ephesus. He prays more for their spiritual well-being, which then catapults him into worship of the One True Living God.

Paul’s prayer for the church in Ephesians 3 is actually one of the most beautiful combinations of prayer and praise anywhere in all the Bible. From a prison cell, Paul encourages the church and exalts the Savior.