The World That Jesus Entered, part 3: Darkness

One of the great themes of Christmas is light shining in the darkness.  "The people walking in darkness have seen a great light," the prophet Isaiah writes as he looks forward to the birth of the Savior.

But just last week, we talked about how the Jews celebrated the "Festival of Lights."  How did this time of great victory become so dark?  What hope does Jesus bring to the darkness of our own time?

The World That Jesus Entered, part 2: The Maccabees

Sunday was the 8th day of Hanukkah.  This Jewish holiday commemorates an event that was pivotal in both shaping the Jewish world in which Jesus lived and forms a background for many New Testament prophecies about the end times.

So who has heard a Baptist preacher give a Hanukkah sermon?  Well, here it is...

The World That Jesus Entered, part 1: World in Transition

When you open up the pages of the New Testament, what you find is drastically different from the world of Ezra, Nehemiah, and Malachi.  This month, we are going to tackle two key questions:

What happened in the history "between the Testaments" to shape the world that Jesus entered?

What can we learn from this era about how to live as God's people in a world in transition?

The Restoration, part 4: Time for Persistence

God called Nehemiah to a task.  There were countless obstacles and troubles in completing that task, but he worked to finish.  How often do we think about finishing the task God has given us?  What does it take to persevere until our calling is complete?

The Restoration, part 3: Time for Joy

For our Thanksgiving and Lord's Supper message, we looked at the Jews' celebration after they had rebuilt the Jerusalem wall.  Many problems still persisted, and they had sorrow over their sin.  But it was not time for weeping but for joy and celebration.  This week, we look at the importance of taking time to rejoice and celebrate God's faithfulness in your life.

The Restoration, part 2: Restoration Resources

Throughout the Old Testament, we see God using pagan nations and armies as His hand of judgment on His people, but the remarkable story of Ezra and Nehemiah show how God worked through pagan kings to restore and bless His people.

These kings gave each of these men particular directives meant to restore and strengthen Jerusalem.  These jobs in Jerusalem's restoration mirror two of the works God must do to complete the job of restoration in our lives as well.

The Restoration, part 1: Restored for a Purpose

Have you ever walked into a room, got yourself involved in one thing and then another, and when you left the room you realized that you failed to do what you went into the room to do in the first place?  Well, the exiled Jews went back to Jerusalem and forgot what they were sent back to do, and God sent the prophet Haggai to remind them.

What happens when we lose focus?  What is God's promise for when we put first things first?

In this little book from the "clean part of your bible," God speaks a very contemporary word to us through His prophet Haggai.

The Exile, part 4: "One Like a Son of Man"

Daniel had a dream.  There was a great raging sea, and four terrible, threatening beasts rose out of the water.  Daniel and his people seemed to be at the mercy of these terrible beasts.  Then a glorious figure appeared above the raging sea.  This "son of man" was the hope of the world.

Hundreds of years later, the twelve disciples also found themselves caught in a storm on the sea.  They thought they were at the mercy of the raging waters.  A glorious figure appeared, walking above the storm.  This Son of Man was their hope.

This week, we looked at Daniel's vision of Jesus as He is today, glorified at the right hand of the Father in heaven.

The Exile, part 3: Daniel and Influence

The Babylonian exile of God's people can serve as a picture of our place in this world that is not our ultimate home.  We have hope in a "better country" to which God is calling us.  Often in this world, we are outsiders.  But God does create opportunities for us to have influence in this world. 

When we think of God's people who had influence during this time, the most prominent example is Daniel.  What did Daniel do with the influence given to him?  What can we learn from him in regard to our own influence in this world?

The Exile, part 2: How to Stand

Daniel and his friends (Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego) were taken from their homes as teenagers and put into a training and re-education program with the rest of the elite youth taken as spoils of war by the Babylonians in their first attack on Jerusalem.  Most of the youths went along with what their captors demanded and taught, but these three young men took a stand.

Our culture is trying to educate us on being a godless 21st-Century American.  With the stakes as high as ever, how do we take a stand? 

The Exile, part 1: Not Your Home

After centuries of idolatry and sin and warnings, God declared through His prophets that the covenant made at Mount Sinai had been broken.  The end came in three stages over 20 years for Jerusalem, and during that time, God revealed through Jeremiah His will for the exiled Jews.

Jeremiah's letter to the early exiles, found in Jeremiah 29, is famous for verse 11 ("For I know the plans I have for you..."), which is merchandized everywhere these days.  But the letter's great value to us is not a promise made and fulfilled 2,400 years ago; its value is in how it reveals to us God's will for us as we live in a world that is only temporary and is not our home.  How are we to live?

Age of Jeremiah, part 4: Hope

We had a wonderful day with the Long family last Sunday. When we opened the Word, we finished our study of the dark days of Jeremiah with words of hope... hope that would be fulfilled in Jesus.

Age of Jeremiah, part 3: Shouting into the Darkness

Jeremiah had one of the toughest jobs of anyone in the Bible.  God's intention to use Babylon punish the nation for their repeated and prolonged unfaithfulness, generation after generation, was set.  He was even told to stop praying for God to spare them.  Yet he was bound to preach the whole Word of God to a people that would not listen, who were bound for destruction. 

I don't know where we are headed as a nation.  We pray and hope for revival, but it could be we are facing a similar judgment to the people in Jeremiah's time.  What can we learn from a prophet who spent his career speaking to people who would never listen?

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Age of Jeremiah, part 2: King Josiah and How to Repent

Repentance is required to receive Christ.  It's required for living the Christian life.  It's essential for renewal and revival.  So what does it mean to repent?  How does someone repent?  Jeremiah and King Josiah show us the way.

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Age of Jeremiah, part 1: The Incurable Wound

 "This is what the Lord says: ‘Your wound is incurable, your injury beyond healing. There is no one to plead your cause, no remedy for your sore, no healing for you. All your allies have forgotten you; they care nothing for you. I have struck you as an enemy would and punished you as would the cruel, because your guilt is so great and your sins so many. Why do you cry out over your wound, your pain that has no cure? Because of your great guilt and many sins I have done these things to you."

- Jeremiah 30:12–15

We are fortunate in our country that we elect a President every four years and that no one can serve more than two terms.  I've lived through four two-term Presidents now, and each has left a deep impression on the country.  But imagine if one of them had served 55 years?  Not only that, but they served 55 years as the worst disaster of a President the country had ever seen?  That's who King Manasseh was for Judah.  His foolish and unjust rule led the people to drastically turn from God, creating an "incurable wound" that brought the wrath Jeremiah would foretell and then witness in his time.

This week, we began our series on Jeremiah by asking the question, "Why does the sin of God's people bring God's wrath?"

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Age of Isaiah, part 5: The Servant Who Saves

About 700 years before Christ's birth, God gave the prophet Isaiah a vision of a "servant" who would come in the Spirit of God and suffer. This figure puzzled students throughout the ages, but Jesus revealed through the cross and his resurrection that He was this "servant who saves" revealed to Isaiah so many centuries before.

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Age of Isaiah, part 4: Good News

Worn out by all the bad news?  Here's some good news (the best, really):

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Age of Isaiah, part 3: The Word of the Lord

We think of prophets as workers of miracles and speakers of oracles about the future, but in biblical times, prophets served a function a lot like the political pundits of today.  They looked at current events, and gave their opinions on how to interpret the times and what to do.  True prophets of the Lord spoke the Word of God, but few people truly made that distinction.

Isaiah was the most important prophet of his time, serving as an outside voice to corrupt kings and as the most trusted advisor of the faithful king Hezekiah.  What was his message in these troubled days?  What message does he have for us today?

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Age of Isaiah, part 2: Who Will You Trust?

Isaiah was an advisor for several kings during a time of Judah's history when they faced their most imposing threat ever: the advancing Assyrian Empire.  Consistently, the prophet pointed the people and their kings back to trusting God.

This week, we looked at two different threats and how two different kings chose to respond.  King Ahaz chose to trust in man.  King Hezekiah chose to trust in the Lord.

We have a similar choice every day.  Who will you trust?

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Age of Isaiah, part 1: Vision and Calling

Everything was changing in the Middle East. A new power was rising--the Assyrian Empire would soon overshadow the entire region, posing a grave threat to every nation in its path. The people of Judah were about to see their brothers to the north, the nation of Israel, fall to Assyria and go into exile. Even as they prospered under the righteous kings Uzziah and Jotham, they had not turned from their sin.  A wicked and cowardly young man named Ahaz would soon assume the throne, and Judah's precarious situation would only get worse. 

In this tumultuous time, God called a man to be His voice in the royal courts and to the people.  His name was Isaiah.  His call is one of the more famous passages in Scripture.  What can we learn from this call about how to be God's voice in the tumultuous time we live in?

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Peace, Prosperity, and Sin, part 2: Entering the Holy Place

This sermon is from July 19th.  We left for vacation that day, so I am just now getting this posted.

In the midst of a prosperous era, Judah's king Uzziah became arrogant.  What he did next brought disaster on him personally but also illustrates two vital truths for today.

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Kobuk Mission Report

From July 2-10, our mission team made our fourth trip to Kobuk, Alaska.  We got to participate in the village's 4th of July picnic, worship with the church on Sunday, and minister to about 25-30 kids through vacation bible school.  It was a great trip.

Here Rudy, Sandy, Bo, and Pastor Steve give their most cherished memories from this year's trip.  Praise God!

Peace, Prosperity, and Sin, part 1: Israel's Last Warning

After the violent upheaval that expelled Baal from Israel, God had compassion on the people and gave them a period of peace and prosperity. But their prosperity only increased their guilt before God. They did not respond in gratitude. Instead, after failing to seek God in times of need, they failed to seek Him in times of plenty, and the rich had no regard for the poor in the land. Israel's last warning came through the prophet Amos...

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Age of Elisha, part 4: Triumph and Tragedy

History is the story of the war between good and evil, and two things are certain: God's sovereign purpose will prevail, and Satan will do all he can to deceive people into self-destruction.  We finish the series on Elisha with the dramatic stories of Jehu and Joash--stories full of heroes, villains, blood, intrigue, and, ultimately, both triumph and tragedy.

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Age of Elisha, part 3: The Chariots and Horsemen of Israel

Being a father means being strong for your family, and the type of strength that's most important (and available to everyone) is spiritual strength. This week we looked at Elisha, a little bald guy who took on an entire army by himself and won. He was called the "chariots and horsemen of Israel." How can you be the "chariots and horsemen" for your family?

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Age of Elisha, part 2: The God of the Unexpected

(Part 1 of the Elisha series was cut off due to microphone failure.  You can listen to the first half of it here.)

Life rarely turns out as you expect that it will.  Sometimes there are unexpected surprises.  Oftentimes, there is disappointment.  But nothing that happens is unexpected to God, and we can rarely anticipate how God is going to work in our lives.  Today we look at a story where God defies expectations at every turn, and we see His goodness and wisdom shine through.

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Age of Elijah, part 5: Chariot of Fire

The story of Elijah being taken to heaven in a whirlwind with a chariot of fire is a cool story.  What can we learn from it?
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The Age of Elijah, part 4: The Baal Generations

During the time of Elijah, Baal worship had taken over in the North (Israel) and it had taken root in the royal palace in the South (Judah).  What happens when a generation turns to idolatry?  And are we in danger of raising up another Baal generation in the church today?

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Age of Elijah, part 3: Spiritual Leadership in an Idolatrous Age

When you think of Mothers Day and church, you don't immediately think "King Jehoshaphat."  (In fact, I can't really think of anything that would prompt you to immediately think "King Jehoshaphat," for that matter).

But when I was planning out this series (trying to get through the rest of the Old Testament story by Christmas), I had to make some tough choices.  One was to continue the series on Mothers Day, rather than prepare a special Mothers Day message, hence my text for Mothers Day is the reign of King Jehoshaphat.

So I prayed as a prepared my message for God to either tell me to throw my plan out and tell me to preach something else or to show me something appropriate for the occasion.  And I believe God showed us something directly from the text that speaks in a very relevant way to the modern task of the Christian parent.  I hope you will hear God as much as you listen as I did as I prepared.

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The Age of Elijah, part 2: Discouragement

With all the promises in the Bible, a person could say that a believer has no right to be anything but filled with hope, joy and optimism. But we often do get discouraged, even in times when it seems we ought to feel the strongest. 1 Kings 19 tells the story of the discouragement of God's "prophet of power," Elijah. What brings discouragement even to God's most faithful people? What does God do in response?

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The Age of Elijah, part 1: A Man Just Like Us

James 5:17-18 says, "Elijah was a man, just like us. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops."

 What can we learn from this "man like us" about being effective in prayer?

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Updates to the Stephens RoadRunner 5K page

The 2015 results and photos are in for the 5K have been added to the Stephens RoadRunner 5K page here.  Click the tab or follow this link.

You can also follow Stephens RoadRunner 5K on our new Facebook page.

The 2016 race is tentatively scheduled for April 2nd.  Hope to see you then!

The Failure of God's People: Jeroboam, part 2: Legacy of Chaos

Every person has the chance to change the course of their family or church history by the momentum created by the decisions they make.  King Jeroboam set a precedent in the kingdom of Israel that set the nation on a course toward chaos and collapse.  Meanwhile, in Judah, another king found a way to stop the decline and break the chain of sin.  What will your legacy be?

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Failure of God's People: Jeroboam, part 1: The Sin of Jeroboam

There was a king in the Bible whose story began not so different from King David's-- chosen by God for he sin of a king who still sat on the throne, he would have to go into hiding until the time came for his rise to power. This king was even given a promise not so different from the promise given to David. But unfortunately King Jeroboam and the nation he ruled, that's about when the similarities ended.

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Coming Home for Easter

Many people only find their way into "God's house" on Easter.  If you were sitting on God's couch for a short visit, what would He most want to tell you?  It's good news!

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Indiana Straw Man

A "straw man" is defined as "a weak or imaginary argument or opponent that is set up to be easily defeated."

It seems like the best concept to introduce when attempting to address the hysteria surrounding Religious Freedom Restoration Act that was signed into law in Indiana last week.

Now, with Arkansas passing a similar law today, we need to take time to see through the absurdities and look at what this is really all about.

It's easy to get people to hate a law when it is characterized as "a license to discriminate" (particularly against homosexuals), and boy do people hate it.  Companies have already announced they are not coming to Indiana, the NCAA has expressed concern about its continued presence there, a liberal church denomination has decided to change the venue of its upcoming convention to a different state, and now the governor of New York is placing some sort of restriction on travel to Indiana for state employees.  #BoycottIndiana has been trending on Twitter for days.

How could anyone stand for such an odious law? 

The answer is that no one can and no one will, because the law as it is being portrayed is a myth.  It does not exist.  It is a straw man.

In a recent post on my personal blog, I expressed concern that the current political/news climate of our country is turning us into a nation of what the Bible calls fools.  In the Bible, fools are people who make no attempt at understanding but will angrily air their own opinions.  This post is an attempt to help us really understand what is going on here.

United Kingdom, part 6: Solomon's Fall

How could the man the Bible calls the wisest man who ever lived become a fool?  By reversing the attitudes that brought him blessing and not following his own advice.  Nothing replaces obedience.

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United Kingdom, part 5: Solomon's Blessing

If God appeared to you and told you to ask him for anything, what would you ask for? 

That's exactly what happened to young King Solomon.  This week, we examined his response and the blessing from God that followed.

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United Kingdom, part 4: Rebuilding a Legacy

David's sin had brought disaster on his life, but his legacy would not be his sin but the psalms he wrote, the temple he planned, and the Christ that would come from his line. How do we recover from sin? How can we get a new start? Let's learn from David...

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United Kingdom, part 3: Absalom's Rebellion

This week, we looked at the epic story of how David met the full consequence for his sin when his son Absalom led a rebellion against him.

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United Kingdom, part 2: House of Calamity

“This is what the Lord says: ‘Out of your own household I am going to bring calamity upon you...’”

—2 Samuel 12:11

 

The path to the fulfillment of Nathan's prophecy against David was a long and painful one.  God's hand of protection was lifted, and all David's mistakes came to their full consequences.  If we look honestly at our lives, we find that, as the psalmist says in Psalm 103:10, God does not treat us as our sins deserve.  But there comes a time of discipline or judgment when sin leads to its inevitable deadly destination.  In this painful story of sexual assault and murder among siblings, we see how unchecked sin brings destruction.

United Kingdom, part 1: David's Sin

This week, we resumed our walk through the story of God, told in the Bible.  We left off in December with the great promise God had made to King David.  This promise pointed to the Messiah and was really the final piece of the foundation God laid for His plan through His people.  So the people were left to live between the promise and the fulfillment (much like the church between Jesus' ascension and His return).  Unfortunately, the story of God's people in the rest of the Old Testament is mostly one of failure.  But in the midst of that failure, the faithfulness of God shines all the brighter.

The story of this failure begins with King David, on a day where he had given himself nothing to do.  His great sin against God and his loyal soldier Uriah had terrible ramifications for the future of his family and kingdom.  The question for us is, "What must we do to protect ourselves against this type of catastrophic sin in our lives?"

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Faith and Finances Graduation

On Sunday, we celebrated the conclusion of our first Faith & Finances course, recognizing participants and giving our graduates their incentive bonus for completing the course.

Faith & Finances was a special time of building community, learning about how the gospel of Jesus Christ has the power to transform every part of our lives, and trying to better manage our money for our own needs as well as with God's kingdom in mind.

Here is a video that shows some of the results:

We Are FBC Stephens: We Will Support and Protect the Witness of the Church

We finished going through our church covenant this week. This week our pledge was "We Will Support and Protect the Witness of the Church." How will our lives give accurate testimony of the truth and power of the gospel?

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We Are FBC Stephens: We Will Serve the Ministry of the Church

We continued working through our covenant this week with our third statement: "We will serve the ministry of the church." This pledge has to do with our responsibility to one another.

 It is like Rudyard Kipling's poem, "The Law of the Jungle": "This is the law of the jungle... it runneth both forward and back: For the strength of the Pack is the Wolf, and the strength of the Wolf is the Pack."

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We Are FBC Stephens: We Will Participate in the Mission of the Church

We continued going through our church covenant this week.  This week our pledge was "We Will Participate in the Mission of the Church."

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We Are FBC Stephens: Protecting the Unity of the Church

This past Sunday, we began preaching through our revised church covenant that we approved last year. This week begins with the statement: "We Will Protect the Unity of the Church." Our primary text is Ephesians 4:1-6.

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A Church Must Grow in Four Directions

This week was our annual "family meeting" message where I lay out our emphases for the coming year. This year, we talked about the purpose of the church and the four ways in which we must grow in grace as a church in order to fulfill God's purpose for the church here in Stephens. The text was Ephesians 1:3-10.

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