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Although, as we saw in our last message, baptism is a very necessary part of the way to salvation, it is not the end of the way.  It is not "fire insurance" as some would have us believe.  There are some vital things beyond baptism which the Christian must still do in the journey to life eternal.

Baptism continues to be a sticking point with many Christians.  Although it is a very weighty subject and contains crucial foundational truths, it just isn't that difficult to understand if we can set aside our preconceived ideas.  Scriptures clearly indicate that baptism is a necessary link in the salvation chain.

Jesus referred to Himself as the Son of Man more than anything else. "Who is this Son of Man?" was a question He was asked from the crowd at one point. The answer begins in the Garden of Eden with the prophecy that the seed of the woman would crush the serpent's head, and flows through the scriptures like a stream with a definite destination. It is none other than the gospel story of a coming Messiah who would be both a Son of Man and Immanuel, God with us.

In the parable of the sower, Jesus likened human hearts to different kinds of soil.  As the seed was sown, it produced different responses in the various soils.  Two main questions arise from this for each of us.  First: What kind of soil am I?  Second: Am I doing any sowing of my own?

The gospel of Christ brings salvation to everyone who hears it, believes and obeys. But the gospel also provides two additional important blessings for the believer - sanctification and transformation. These are often not taught, but are very much a part of becoming a disciple of Jesus. Zaccheus' encounter with the Lord illustrates this for us.

Throughout the Bible, the conflict between good and evil is portrayed as one between light and darkness. The world lies under the power of dark, spiritual forces. Jesus came as the Light of the world to show people the truth and guide them home to their heavenly Father. Christians now have the privilege and responsibility of doing the same.

Jesus' invitation to follow Him requires us to make a decision.  That decision must be based on the knowledge that not all things are equally important, and that the invitation to be part of His kingdom family and serve Him is priceless.  Too many people are just too busy with lesser things to accept Jesus' invitation.

Jesus had cast seven demons out of Mary Magdalene.  As we follow her through the gospels, we see that her thankful and joyful response to being set free was a life of faithful and devoted service to Jesus and His ministry.  Her devotion to the Lord resulted in her being given a privilege which no other human being can ever claim.  Her example should inspire us all.

We have all been taught to be "good stewards" of our resources which God has given to us.  But how many of us think about being good stewards of our time and the opportunities which God sets before us?  In our lesson, a woman seizes an opportunity for which she is highly commended by Jesus, and by which she teaches us some important lessons. SHOW LESS

What we believe affects the way we do life. If I don't believe that Jesus was raised from the dead, then His resurrection won't affect how I live. If I do believe it happened, His resurrection empowers me to live a life filled with hope. It gives me an eternal perspective of things which helps me endure adversities and make the sacrifices necessary to live the Christian life.

Some people advocate individual prayer, Bible reading, meditation, etc. for their faith and religious practice.  This is generally brought about by their desire (for any number of reasons) to distance themselves from "organized religion."  Although individual spiritual growth is needful, is this approach compatible with the teaching of our Lord?  Is there anything missing?

Many things which God does and asks us to do cause us to pause and wonder. His ways and thinking are so far above ours that we have trouble processing it all. Such is the case with God's asking Abraham to sacrifice Isaac, the son of promise, as a burnt offering. Such a request shocks us and provokes many questions. How did Abraham process it all?

With all of the warfare, murder, lying, public corruption and rampant immoral conduct, we wonder what the world is coming to. God, who is sovereign over all, knows where it's all going. It's all coming to an END! Then a NEW BEGINNING! And we'll all be there! Hope you're ready.

Jesus regularly encountered opposition when He healed on the Sabbath for his opponents said He was doing work which was forbidden on the Sabbath.  Jesus' response was never to deny that His healing was work, but only that He was doing good.  His point was that the Sabbath law was never meant to prevent anyone from doing good.

Charges of "racism" seem to be everywhere these days. Why is it that we judge others based on skin color and many other outward appearances? Does the Bible say anything about different races of people? Should we "judge" others? If so, how should we do it?

People are believing a 1000 different things these days about life, its origins, its meaning, its purpose, the existence or non-existence of God, etc.  There is only one place to go to find the truth about all of these things and more - God's word, the holy scriptures.

In light of this week's events between Russia and Ukraine, Jeff has decided to change this week's sermon - now titled "Nations in an Uproar."

From the beginning of His ministry, Jesus proclaimed the gospel of the kingdom of God.  With all of the rampant sexual immorality, government oppression, corruption of the religious leaders, abuse of the masses, etc., the people needed to hear good news.  Hmmm.  Sounds a good bit like today, doesn't it?  Perhaps people today would like to hear some good news.  The gospel of the kingdom of God is still a whole lot of good news!

(Note: Intermittent sound issues clear up around 8:30)Luke seems to pay special attention to the huge crowds which followed Jesus? It's no wonder the Romans eyed Him with suspicion, and the religious leaders were envious. What did move the huge numbers of people to follow Him? There were several reasons - some good and some not.

Sometimes when we are experiencing several troubles and miseries at the same time, or some problem just seems to hang around forever, we begin to wonder if God sees what's happening to us and if He cares. Hagar, the Egyptian maidservant of Sarai, assures us that God hears and sees us in our afflictions.