Obedience’s Most Important Element – Hebrews 11:6-8

For what is Noah best known? If you didn’t assume this was a trick question, wouldn’t you say Noah is best known for building the ark? Extending our answer, we might point to the deluge, which is erroneously called “Noah’s flood.” After a little thought you might say...

Ingredients of Worship – Psalm 96

Let’s say that you want to bake a simple, lemon-flavored cake. In order to do that you have two options: the hard way and the easy way. You could mix the correct amounts of butter, eggs, flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, lemon flavoring and a few other organic,...

Knees Upon Which to Worship the Lord – Psalm 96

I don’t usually tell you how my messages come to me or how they are developed, but this time I will. For several weeks I have been thinking about bringing a message on the subject of “worship.” After prayer and deliberation, the Lord gave me a topical outline on the...

The Faith of Jesus Christ – Matthew 17:14-21

Four times the Bible uses the words “the faith of Jesus Christ.” Have you ever thought about the faith that Jesus must – or might – have had in God His Father? That is our subject for this evening. But there isn’t a single scripture anywhere which speaks about that....

Testing the Revival Waters – John 6:1-14

How many miracles carried out by the Lord Jesus are recorded in all four gospels? This is the only one. For that reason, it may be one of the most commonly preached. I didn’t check my records to see how many times I have taken my text from one of those four chapters....

How to Kill Thanksgiving – Luke 17:11-19

Our message this evening bears the silly but appropriate title: “How to Kill Thanksgiving.” It has nothing to do with killing the thanksgiving turkey. And in that regard, why have “turkey” and “thanksgiving” become synonyms? Why do some people call Thanksgiving...

The Other Sweet-Smelling Savour

During their years in the wilderness, Israel was to worship God at His Tabernacle. I hope you can picture that place. First, there was the courtyard surrounded by a wall of curtains. Inside were several things, including the inner tabernacle made up of the Holy Place...

What is an Effectual Fervent Prayer? – James 5:16-18

As James concludes his epistle, he exhorts us to “pray for one another.” Coming in chapter 5 instead of chapter 1, should we conclude that this is some sort of afterthought? Is this: “Oh, by the way I think it would be good if you prayed for one another?” As taught by...

Basel Cell Carcinoma – James 5:13-16

Let’s pretend you wake up one spring morning, feeling a slight itch on your right forearm. Looking down you see a small spot and think that while working in the garden the day before, you got poked by a raspberry or rose bush, or maybe it is a bug bite. Six months...

Pushing Through – Philippians 3:13-14

I was talking to our missionary Tim Parrow the other day when he mentioned that one of their church people hasn’t been in the services for several weeks – it may have been as many as six weeks. There hasn’t been any problem with the church. It appears that the...

Do All Things Properly – Philippians 2:14-16

I need to remind myself from time to time that our primary Wednesday night purpose is prayer and worship. And then there is the fact that some of us have come from work; we are tired and perhaps a little tried. Of course, there are always things we need to hear again,...

A Psalm for the Sons of Korah (Part 3) – Psalm 84:9-12

Every time I have read this Psalm over the last three weeks, I have seen new things. We must never think that we have intellectually conquered any portion of the infinite Word of God. Perhaps one of our occupations in Heaven will be mastering new material from the...

A Psalm for the Sons of Korah (Part 2) – Psalm 84:5-8

John Bunyan, the Baptist preacher, wrote more than one book – several of which became immensely popular. His 1666 autobiography, “Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners,” is well worth reading. He also wrote more than one extended allegory, including “The Holy War.”...

September 24 in Baptist History

It has been said that Baptists don’t, or didn’t, believe in an educated ministry. While there have been a small minority bearing the Baptist name who believed that ministers should rely on the Holy Spirit alone, to the exclusion of teachers and reference books, and...

A Psalm for the Sons of Korah (Part 1) – Psalm 84:1-4

Most of you know my inclination to comment, from time to time, on the hymns that we sing. Sometimes there is a bit of criticism; sometimes I simple raise a question; sometimes it is to highlight something that I think is good. I rarely interrupt our singing to make...