January 1

I have told parts of this story several times, so I won’t go into any great deal of detail on this occasion. A few years ago, when our son and his family were living in Akin, South Carolina, my wife, Judy, and I drove a few miles across the Savanna River into Georgia,...

The Stable Boy – Luke 2:1-16

As we all know, this is the day that Christianity recognizes the birth of Christ. Sadly, from there, the day, and many of the celebrations, fall apart. By that I mean, much of the world celebrates Christmas while rejecting Jesus. Look at Japan for example. And much of...

December 25

Rueben Hill was born in a humble Kentucky home in 1808. Disciplining himself, he studied hard to become a physician. When he was twenty-five, two momentous blessings fell upon him: he was born again and he married. He joined the Knob Creek Baptist Church in Maury...

Three Brothers – I Peter 5:12-14

I have been trying really hard to develop this lesson into a sermon, so that I could have something to preach. But with the material before us, this will be little more than a Bible lesson with some teachable material. And yet, I did manage to find three points to...

Standing in Grace – I Peter 5:12

Paul, the other apostle, tells us in Ephesians that God has given to His people, and His churches, a number of different kinds of ministers. “He gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the...

December 18

During the first half of the 18th century, the Lord brought spiritual enlightenment to Sweden, creating a polarizing effect in that country. While many souls were saved, even more became incensed, defending their Lutheran religion by persecuting the new converts to...

God of Grace and Glory – I Peter 5:10-11

There are people who like to read the Bible as if it was some mystical collection of allegories. To them very little is black and white. To them just about every other statement must mean something other than what it clearly says. The word “Israel,” for example,...

Your Adversary: the Devil – I Peter 5:8-9

Peter, while in the midst of some practical exhortations, uses a simile to punctuate his lesson. “Your adversary the devil, AS a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.” We will get back to the illustration of the lion in a moment, but first… As...

Your Father, the Devil – I Peter 5:8-9

I have a two part message for you today. We will finish up in tonight’s service. This isn’t one long lesson that I’m dividing for convenience’s sake. It has two distinct sections, but they are obviously tied together. Our subject throughout the day will be Peter’s...

December 11

I often describe the persecution against the Baptists during the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries here in America, as well as in Britain and a few other places. Going a little astray with this vignette, I turn to Russia and a much more recent date – December 11, 1985....