Just Do It!

Posted on 2015/07/13 by Shawn Thomas

Are you waiting for the “perfect” time to get started on “that” project? The Preacher of Ecclesiastes may have a word for you: “He who watches the wind will not sow, and he who looks at the clouds will not reap.” (Ecclesiastes 11:4)
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“A Little Bird Told Me”

Posted on 2015/07/10 by Shawn Thomas

Have you ever wondered where that expression came from: “A little bird told me”?  Look no further than Ecclesiastes 10:20 in your Bible. There the Preacher offers the following words of wisdom:

“Furthermore, in your bed-chamber do not curse a king, and in your sleeping rooms do not curse a rich man, for a bird of the heavens will carry the sound and the winged creature will make the matter known.” Continue reading →

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Maintenance Required

Posted on 2015/07/09 by Shawn Thomas

“Through indolence the rafters sag, and through slackness the house leaks.”  (Ecclesiastes 10:18)

What the Preacher observed here is certainly true of a literal house: if you neglect needed maintenance and repairs, then over time the rafters of your home will sag, and your roof will leak. You need to do consistent maintenance if you want to keep your home in good repair.

But perhaps Solomon was also speaking of something more than buildings?  There are many areas of life which take continual maintenance in order to be kept up: Continue reading →

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Unless They Are Sent

Posted on 2015/07/08 by Shawn Thomas

Often there is in the Christian church an emphasis on “going” on evangelistic and missions endeavors, and this is certainly appropriate. But Romans 10:15 challenges us in a different way: “How will they preach unless they are sent?” It is not only the responsibility of individual members of the church to go on mission, but also of the church corporately to send them: “How will they preach unless they are SENT?”  This reminds us that the church as a body must have an emphasis on sending people to share the good news. A local church can do this in several ways: Continue reading →

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Where Religion Goes Wrong

Posted on 2015/07/07 by Shawn Thomas

There are two fundamental  problems with the religious outlook of most people in the world, and Romans 10:3 reveals both of them: “For not knowing about the righteousness of God, and seeking to establish their own, they did not subject themselves to the righteousness of God.”

— The first problem most people have is that they have no concept of just how holy God is: Continue reading →

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“The Discipline of Fasting” (Ezra 8:21 sermon)

Posted on 2015/07/06 by Shawn Thomas

A Christian disciple from India came to the United States a few years ago, and made the tour of a number of our Baptist churches, both observing and speaking. After a few weeks, he asked a question of his host. He said he had enjoyed the worship services, and the preaching, and the fellowships, and he noted all the good food they had eaten together at their Baptist churches. “But” he asked, “When do you fast?” That’s a good question. When DO we fast?

As we continue our series, “The Disciplines of Disciples”, we have seen that Jesus commands those who would come after Him to deny themselves, take up their cross daily, and follow Him. And we have seen that there are a number of spiritual disciplines which we are to adopt as His disciples, including daily time in God’s word & prayer, spontaneous praying throughout the day, and scripture memory. This morning we will look at another discipline, but one which has received scant attention from most Baptists, and that is the discipline of fasting.   Continue reading →

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Sincerely Wrong!  

Posted on 2015/07/06 by Shawn Thomas

Won’t a person go to heaven no matter what they believe, just as long as they are sincere?  The Apostle Paul wrote otherwise: “For I testify about them that they have a zeal for God, but not in accordance with knowledge.” (Romans 10:2)   Continue reading →

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Praying for Salvation

Posted on 2015/07/02 by Shawn Thomas

Romans 10 is one of the greatest chapters in the word of God, and the Apostle Paul opens it by showing us one of the most important kinds of prayers we can pray:  “Brethren, my heart’s desire and my prayer to God for them is for their salvation.”  Notice the following about verse 1:  Continue reading →

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Divided Kingdoms Can’t Stand

Posted on 2015/07/01 by Shawn Thomas

In Mark 3:24 Jesus responded to the Jewish leaders who accused Him of casting out demons through Satan’s power by saying “if a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom is not able to stand.” His word made sense in His present situation, but it also applies to some of ours. Continue reading →

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Don’t Live Like An Animal

Posted on 2015/06/30 by Shawn Thomas

Although animals have  many good qualities, and many of us have been blessed by their faithfulness and labor, there are some ways in which we are not to be like them.  Psalm 32:9 admonishes: “Do not be as the horse or as the mule which have no understanding …” Continue reading →

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