Jan 21, 2021 | This Sunday in Baptist History
American Baptists were introduced to their missionary responsibilities in West Africa through the thousands of slaves who had been kidnaped and brought to this country from that region. Many of the people carried here brought with them the pagan witchcraft of their...
Jan 21, 2021 | Wednesday
After Jesus’ upper room supper with His disciples, they sang a hymn and went out toward the mount of Olives. “And Jesus saith unto them, All ye shall be offended because of me this night: for it is written, I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered....
Jan 17, 2021 | Sunday Morning
Thursday I was thinking about a particular subject, trying to prepare it for this morning’s message. After an hour or so, I got side-tracked onto this scripture, and something slightly different developed. I don’t know what the Holy Spirit has in store for us, but...
Jan 15, 2021 | This Sunday in Baptist History
George Blaurock was an Anabaptist who became known for two things – his opposition of infant baptism and his love of music. The first historical reference to this man occurred on this day (Jan. 17) in 1525 during a public discussion of baptism. It was said by...
Jan 14, 2021 | Wednesday
It’s been a couple of weeks now, so I am hoping you are familiar with Emmanuel Cleaver’s prayer at the opening of the 117th session of Congress. It was all over social media, evoking comments from all kinds of people, including President Trump. Cleaver, the former...
Jan 11, 2021 | Sunday Evening
While looking through one of my notebooks of sermon seed thoughts, I ran into the words “Seeing Clearly.” I immediately thought, “Ah ha,” here is something to which I can relate. I know what it is to see poorly, nearly not to see at all, and now to see clearly in some...
Jan 7, 2021 | This Sunday in Baptist History
Daniel Defoe was born into a English Christian home in 1661. As a young man he fell in love with the word of God, and during a period when there were few copies of the Bible, he was one of many to copy it in short hand for future use. Being a good writer, he began to...
Jan 3, 2021 | Sunday Morning
We have no way of knowing how long Paul was in Athens before moving across the isthmus to Corinth. By the year 51 AD, Athens had lost its greatest luster and had a population of about 20,000 – smaller than Post Falls. This was about a fifth the size of bustling...
Jan 3, 2021 | Timothy Parrow
Dear Pastor and Brethren: Thanksgiving Month! Although we are thankful for all that the Lord is doing, November is the month in which we give special thanks to the Lord for His wonderful works to the children of men. The mission had a fellowship dinner after the...
Jan 2, 2021 | This Sunday in Baptist History
On this day (January 3) in 1644 the British Parliament, which was then controlled by the Presbyterians, passed a bill making sprinkling the official act of “baptism” in England. The bill read, “The minister is to demand the name of the child, which being told him, is...
Dec 31, 2020 | Lessons on Bible Trivia
On this day (January 3) in 1644 the British Parliament, which was then controlled by the Presbyterians, passed a bill making sprinkling the official act of “baptism” in England. The bill read, “The minister is to demand the name of the child, which being told him, is...
Dec 27, 2020 | Sunday Morning
When I ask someone to read the scriptures during our song service, there is usually a specific thought in that scripture which I plan to emphasize during my message. But, unless the reader has seen the sermon title and made an accurate guess about my intent, he won’t...
Dec 24, 2020 | This Sunday in Baptist History
Benajah Harvey Carroll was born on this day (Dec. 27) in 1843. His father was a Baptist preacher and the rest of his family were devoted Christians. His brother, J.M. Carroll, authored the often-published booklet “Trail of Blood.” Despite being surrounded by the...
Dec 24, 2020 | Wednesday
I’m going to piggy-back this devotional onto Brother Fulton’s lessons about running the Christian race. This scripture refers to wrestling. It doesn’t happen very often these days in the highly technical world of Olympic Sports, but it used to be that really good...
Dec 20, 2020 | Sunday Morning
This has been one of the most unusual “Christmas” seasons in our life times. Many of the traditional social and family activities are being cancelled, curtailed or changed because of the virus hysteria. But life must go on, as they say. So our neighbors and some of...
Dec 17, 2020 | This Sunday in Baptist History
John William Jones was married on this day (Dec. 20) in 1860. That fact has nothing to do with today’s vignette, it just gives us a reference to the calendar. John Jones was born in 1835, and he was born again while a teenager. He was preparing himself for missionary...
Dec 13, 2020 | Lessons on Bible Trivia
I have shared this story with you several times, but never in its entirety. Let me correct that this morning. Years ago, I flew from Calgary, Alberta down to Lubbock, Texas to attend a Bible conference at the Tabernacle Baptist Church. Two of my closest friends in the...
Dec 10, 2020 | This Sunday in Baptist History
Edward Pierce was born in Gates County, North Carolina, on this day (Dec. 13) in 1870. The Lord saved his soul when Edward was sixteen, and shortly after that he was called to preach the gospel. He graduated from Wake Forest College and then from Southern Baptist...
Dec 10, 2020 | Wednesday
The title of this lesson is “Penniless Preachers.” Twenty years ago I would have had a hard time preaching this message because of the connection it would have exposed between you and me. It might have appeared to be self-serving, worldly or even downright greedy on...
Dec 6, 2020 | Sunday Morning
When we started this study last April, I said that Nehemiah could be used as an illustration of a New Testament Christian. Despite not knowing anything of Jesus Christ, this man’s trust was in Jehovah, and his service was for the glory of God. As we have seen over the...
Dec 3, 2020 | This Sunday in Baptist History
According to David Benedict’s Baptist history, a church was formed in Salem, Massachusetts, in the year 1780. On this day (December 6), a year later, Samuel Fletcher was ordained as their pastor. He was 33 years old, had been saved about thirteen years, and had been...
Nov 30, 2020 | Sunday Evening
I confess that from the moment we started this study of Nehemiah I have been dreading this chapter. I read this book several times before we started, and I knew it concluded with an unpopular and controversial subject. Now, here we are. But as is most often the case –...
Nov 29, 2020 | Sunday Morning
Permit me to use my imagination for a few moments. You can join me if you’d like. I am picturing a young Hebrew man – one of sons of prophets – trained in one of the schools of Elijah. He already has some experience using his gifts of prophecy, preaching and...
Nov 26, 2020 | This Sunday in Baptist History
In the 1870’s the First Baptist Church of Portland, Oregon became burdened for the many Chinese who were moving into their city. Pastor D.J. Pierce wrote to E.Z. Simmons, a Baptist missionary who was on furlough from China, asking if he would come up from...
Nov 26, 2020 | Wednesday
If I asked you, “What is the CHIEF purpose of man?” how would you answer? Many of us raised in Episcopalianism would instantly know the answer from our catechism. The chief purpose of man is to glorify God. I Corinthians 10:31 – “Whether therefore ye eat or...
Nov 23, 2020 | Sunday Evening
Let’s say that you’ve just been introduced to someone new, and the question of “Christianity” has come up. You want to know whether this person is a genuine child of God or just a name-only Christian. How should we test that person? – Or for that matter, how could...
Nov 22, 2020 | Sunday Morning
In order to get to this morning’s lesson, we have to look at two background items. As you know, Nehemiah is one of the Bible’s historical books; it is not poetry or prophesy. Yet despite being history, like Acts, for example – it is filled with the application of...
Nov 21, 2020 | Timothy Parrow
Dear Pastor and Brethren: A Slow Uneventful Month The month of October was a slow month with little activity other than normal services. The two ladies who visited twice, Denise Park and Kelly Swanson, have not returned at all to our services. We have had a more than...
Nov 19, 2020 | This Sunday in Baptist History
On this day (Nov. 22) in 1755 sixteen Baptists, originally from New England, formed the Sandy Creek Baptist church in what is now northern North Carolina. The church immediately called Brother Shubal Sterns to become their under shepherd and leader. With the blessing...
Nov 19, 2020 | Wednesday
Just before Jesus’ final earthly Passover, He gathered His disciples together for a catered meal. This was Jesus’ church, just as we believe Calvary Baptist Church is a church of Christ. So, the events of that night relate to us in several ways. Of course, those men...
