Fishkill Baptist Church: Recent Episodes
Fishkill Baptist Church
Intro: Theme/Topic (What’s the problem, the question, etc.) Anyone here ever feel like you can’t talk with others about Jesus? It’s just not your gift. You don’t think you know enough. So, you keep quiet about Jesus and leave all that talking stuff to the professionals…those who have all the answers…
Intro: Theme/Topic (What’s the problem, the question, etc.) Let me ask you a question this morning to get us started. What is the church? How you answer that question will determine how it is that you relate to the church. If the church is merely source of inspiration and encouragement then you will…
Intro: Theme/Topic (What’s the problem, the question, etc.) Have you ever felt like you were in over your head? Maybe it was a job you felt under qualified for and you hoped your boss wouldn’t find out. Or a relationship where you know you’re the lucky one and you hope the other person doesn’t figure…
Intro: Theme/Topic (What’s the problem, the question, etc.) In the movie Ralph Breaks the Internet, the video game character leaves his arcade for an adventure on the world wide web! The personification of the internet is absolutely hilarious in this movie! In one scene they need information so they…
Intro: Theme/Topic (What’s the problem, the question, etc.) Many years ago when I was the youth pastor here, we took a group of teens on a backpacking trip in the Smoky Mountains of North Carolina. On our way to the trailhead, our route took us through an 11 mile stretch of road along the N.C./Tennessee…
Intro: Theme/Topic (What’s the problem, the question, etc.) William Wilberforce was a prominent British politician who became a Christian in 1785. Finding the hope of Christ compelled Wilberforce to work for the good of others less fortunate. Most notably, he worked tirelessly for the complete abolishment…
Intro: Theme/Topic (What’s the problem, the question, etc.) One of the things that kids love the most about VBS is learning fun new songs and singing loudly — as we saw already this morning! This year at VBS the kids learned about God’s grand plan of redemption traced throughout history from beginning…
Intro: Theme/Topic (What’s the problem, the question, etc.) Have you ever been on the other end of these statements… Boss: I’m sorry, we had to make cuts and we have to let you go. Doctor: We’ve tried everything we can but there’s nothing more we can do. Your spouse is in the military on deployment and…
Intro: Theme/Topic (What’s the problem, the question, etc.) Today we conclude this sermon series going through the book of Judges. If you’ve been tracking with us from the beginning you know it’s been a pretty wild ride! Sometimes we come to certain parts of the Bible and wonder — WHAT IN THE WORLD IS…
Intro: Theme/Topic (What’s the problem, the question, etc.) It’s now June in an election year and we are going to start seeing the rhetoric and mud slinging heat up. One thing you can count on each side agreeing on is that our country is in trouble but of course for different reasons. Something to watch…
Intro: Theme/Topic (What’s the problem, the question, etc.) In 1928, scientist Alexander Fleming entered his laboratory to discover that mold had contaminated one of his petri dishes. But before he could throw it away he noticed that the bacteria surrounding the mold was all dead! This seemingly bad…
Intro: Theme/Topic (What’s the problem, the question, etc.) Summer is upon us and that means beach weather. Going to the beach is something my family tried to do at least once during the summer. Now as anyone who has ever been to a popular beach will tell you…you must be on guard against seagulls! Any…
Intro: Theme/Topic (What’s the problem, the question, etc.) We had some great weather last week! Summer is coming and that means swimming, grilling, and of course hotdogs. Now I don’t want to ruin hotdogs for you. So understand that not all hotdogs are created equal. But in the lowest quality hotdogs…
Intro: Theme/Topic (What’s the problem, the question, etc.) One thing you may not know about me is that I’ve had quite the acting career! As a kid my friends and I would use my dad’s camcorder to record skits we made up. And in high school I took some video production classes. My junior year, I got a…
Intro: Theme/Topic (What’s the problem, the question, etc.) Why Judges? If you’ve ever read Judges, you know why I’m asking that question! There are parts of the Bible that are difficult and even offend modern sensibilities. There are verses that frequently end up on t-shirts and coffee mugs and people…
Intro: Theme/Topic (What’s the problem, the question, etc.) Who is Jesus? This is a question that people have answered in many ways since the first century. JW’s believe Jesus was the arch angel Michael. Mormons believe Jesus is the spirit brother of Satan Muslims believe Jesus was just another prophet.…
Intro: Theme/Topic (What’s the problem, the question, etc.) Recently, I was getting my hair cut and my barber and I were talking. I love my barber, he’s a really great guy. We were talking about the fact that we homeschool our kids and he said that makes a lot of sense since we are religious people because…
Intro: Theme/Topic (What’s the problem, the question, etc.) Have you ever heard someone say something like this... All claims to be the only true religion are like mountain climbers taking different trails to the summit of the same mountain. Each hiker can only see their trail and claims that it is the…
Intro: Theme/Topic (What’s the problem, the question, etc.) Have you ever wondered why we have certain laws? Some of them seem arbitrary or just plain silly. For example… In Baltimore, it's technically considered a park rule violation to be in a public park with a sleeveless shirt (yes, even if you're…
Intro: Theme/Topic (What’s the problem, the question, etc.) In Tolkin’s book the Hobbit, the main enemy is a ruthless, fire breathing dragon, named Smaug! His scales were a coat of armor that was impenetrable to nearly any blade. But like most dragons Smaug was vulnerable on his underside. However, Smaug,…
Intro: Theme/Topic (What’s the problem, the question, etc.) In the 1986 comedy The Three Amigos, The Three Amigos are Hollywood movie stars who play gun slinging cowboys on TV. When a small Mexican village is under the tyranny of a ruthless Mexican gang, some of the villagers see the Three Amigos on…
Intro: Theme/Topic We are hiking together through this summer’s sermon series. And if you’ve ever hiked a mountain you know that the pain involved in the ascent is worth all the effort when you reach the summit and you look out and can see for miles and miles all around and see the beauty of God’s creation.…
Intro: Theme/Topic (What’s the problem, the question, etc.) Sadly we’re all too familiar with the very public failures of well-known celebrity christian pastors and leaders. You may have experienced your own less public failures of faith. Maybe you stayed silent at work or at school when others were…
Intro: Theme/Topic (What’s the problem, the question, etc.) We’ve come to a point in John’s gospel where the “hour” Jesus has been talking about has finally arrived. Like a wave that swells over time and is about to crest. This moment has been building from the very beginning of John’s gospel with John…
Intro: Theme/Topic Last week I asked what kind of things tend to dominate your prayer list. Is it primarily a list of health concerns or does it go deeper than that? What are the things you pray for? And if we are to pray according to Christ’s will then it’s important for us to know what are the kinds…
Brief Comments on Baptism Today we’re going to baptize two individuals who couldn’t be more different from one another. Which I think is absolutely amazing because if these two people both equally need Jesus, then we all need Jesus! Before we begin, let me say a few things about baptism. First, these…
Intro: Theme/Topic There’s an old story of a blind man in a village who when he would go out at night would always carry around a lit lantern. One night a group of travelers came upon this blind man. When they realized that he was blind and was carrying around a lit lantern, they laughed to themselves…
Intro: Theme/Topic One of my favorite action movie franchises is Mission Impossible. I love how they begin with a top secret message that says something like, “Your mission should you choose to accept it is to save the world from certain doom and the chances you will succeed are about a billion to one.”…
Intro: Theme/Topic In Tolkien’s epic fantasy trilogy The Lord of the Rings, the main character is this ordinary creature called a Hobbit. Frodo is his name. Hobbits life comfortable lives in a place called the shire. They are small and suspecting — not known for having adventures or taking risks. Frodo…
Intro: Theme/Topic What if I told you that I am a professional football player? Well, you can’t just take my word for it — (I don’t know why not :-)). I mean, I certainly have the physique! I know pretty much all the rules. I watch a lot of games. I even own a few jerseys. But still, that’s not enough…
Intro: Theme/Topic (What’s the problem, the question, etc.) In a recent LifeWay State of Theology study, they found that most Americans accept the biblical accounts of Jesus’ resurrection but they aren’t sure why it matters for their daily lives! This is a great question for us to wrestle with. In fact…
Intro: Theme/Topic (What’s the problem, the question, etc.) So often when we talk about the cross, the focus is on God’s love for us. And this is true… but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. But there is more to be understood about Christ’s work on the…
Intro: Theme/Topic (What’s the problem, the question, etc.) Our question last time was… Where do you turn to in difficult times? When the circumstances of this broken world trouble your hearts and make you anxious… What do you do? Where do you look? We saw how Jesus prepared His disciples for dealing…
Intro: Theme/Topic Our world is filled with people who have troubled hearts today. Perhaps many of you have a troubled heart. We’re surrounded by unsettling events... Rising cost of living Escalating international tensions Political polarization Another report of policy brutality A school shooting. A…
Intro: Theme/Topic In 1780, the Continental Army captured Major John Andre, the British contact for a traitor among them. And he was in possession of paperwork that gave hard evidence of the treason. One of George Washington’s best generals, after being given control of West Point, willingly provided…
Intro: Theme/Topic (What’s the problem, the question, etc.) When people have power, there tends to be a degree of fear of them. They are feared because they have the power to affect our lives for good or ill with their influence or wealth or political position. Whether it’s the popular crowd at school,…
Intro: Theme/Topic What is the image that you get in your mind when you think of a heroic leader? If you were raised on westerns maybe it’s someone like John Wayne. Or maybe someone like Indiana Jones or William Wallace. Today the entertainment industry is flooded with no shortage of super hero movies.…
Intro: How do you know what something is worth? Take the price of a house for example. Is it worth what it’s listed for? Not necessarily. It’s worth is whatever someone is willing to pay for it — that’s what it’s worth. Well, let me ask you a question. How do you value Jesus? What is He worth to you?…
Intro: Theme/Topic (What’s the problem, the question, etc.) As we approached this Christmas morning through the various Sundays of advent, through advent devotionals, or stories we’ve read to our children. We’ve encountered person after person who had the privilege of seeing Jesus with their own eyes.…
Intro: Theme/Topic (What’s the problem, the question, etc.) For many, when asked about what the holiday season means to them, they respond that it’s about time with family and loved ones. Now the pharisee in our hearts might jump all over this and say NO! This season is about the coming of our saviour…
Intro: Theme/Topic (What’s the problem, the question, etc.) Well, this is the 2nd Sunday of Advent and the theme this week is JOY. It’s been said that the opposite of joy is fear. Theologian R.C. Sproul has said... It is anxiety that robs us of our joy. And what is anxiety but fear? Fear is the enemy…
Intro: Theme/Topic (What’s the problem, the question, etc.) Peace is a wonderful idea! And one with universal appeal — everyone is pro-peace! It’s widely posted and talked about it. It’s something that we dream about and plan for. But if we’re honest peace is terribly elusive! Even though peace is universally…
Intro: Theme/Topic I heard a comedian a while back talking about youth sports and how winning doesn’t really prepare a kid for the real world. He points out that as adults, we do a lot more losing than we do winning! Of course none of us plans on losing…the plan is always to win (whatever the situation…
Intro: Theme/Topic I believe that it everyone who has ever suffered has asked themselves this question… why me? We tend to think that criminals, those who abuse and exploit others, deserve suffering. But not, us. Not people who try to do the right thing. Not people who who do good. Not people who go…
Intro Last week we finished up chapter 4 and saw how it is that God’s people can suffer well. And that was incredibly relevant because we know that suffering is a universal experience! We all suffer with various trials and hardships in this life because we all live in a world that has been broken by…
Intro We live in a world where suffering a is a reality. Some would say, “how can there be a good and loving God if there is so much suffering in the world?” This is a serious question that cannot be ignored. However, this is not just a problem for Christians — it’s a problem for EVERY religion and worldview.…
Intro As our culture moves further and further away from Christian values — even going so far as to hate us for our values. How is it that a follower of Jesus should live? Should you become undercover Christians who practice your faith in private and only give lip service to the values of the culture…
Intro How do you view people? Do you see them as fellow image bearers of God? Or are they objects to be used for your advantage and gain? Social Justice is a term today that carries a lot of baggage infused with a lot of man-made unbiblical ideas. So, we must be careful when we come to the scriptures…
Intro Last week we finished up John chapter 6. We saw Jesus go from ministering to a crowd of as many as 20,000 people at the beginning of the chapter to being left with only the 12 by the end of the chapter. John tells us that that many of those who followed Jesus walked away because they would not…
Intro Besides the resurrection, there is only one miracle that is included in all four gospels. This where we’re going today. Have you ever been in a position when the odds were overwhelmingly not in your favor? In these situations with their backs against the wall, people tend to respond in one of two…
Edit sermon notes Copy text Intro We took a short break from our sermon series in John’s Gospel. Last week for Easter I fast forwarded to chapter 20 and Thomas’ encounter with the resurrected Jesus. So, by way of brief reminder. Two weeks ago, we looked at Jesus’ response to some angry religious leaders…
Intro Has anyone ever said something like this to you? ‘It's one of those things where you just had to be there.’ And because you weren’t there you feel that you missed out on something and there’s really no way to go back and experience it for yourself. Well as we look back on the Bible’s historical…
INTRO Suffering Life is not easy. Any one who’s lived will tell you this. You probably don’t need me to tell you this. Whether you’re a child and some other kid is mean to you on the playground or won’t play with you. Or a sibling took on of your toys - Can you tell what stage of life I’m in right now…
Intro Last week Jesus dropped a theological truth bomb on the Jewish religious leaders! Because of Jesus’ teaching, they picked up what he was putting down. The message was delivered and they have connected all the dots and cannot believe what they are hearing... Jesus was calling God his own Father…
Have you ever leveraged good biblical values to advance yourself in your own eyes or the eyes of others? Why are we so prone to doing this? . Are you in any danger of living with spiritual ingratitude? What would your prayer life suggest as the answer to that question? . How might God use the link between…
Intro I want to remind you of the words on your bulletin cover that serve as an anchor for this series. It’s John’s purpose for writing this gospel. but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name. Notice the…
- What signs of life can you point to in your own life? 2. When was the last time you felt invigorated by DOING the will of the Father? Some upcoming opportunities to do the Father's will include inviting someone to attend church with you on Easter Sunday and/or to the new Hope Explored course. If you…
- Are there any ways in which you unconsciously (or consciously) assume the gospel is only for people who are like you, be that ethnically, culturally, or economically? 2. "What defines worship is no longer the physical temple." What are the implications of this truth for your church building? 3. Are…
Intro Have you ever been discouraged in ministry because of the success of another? Another person who sees more evangelistic fruit? Another ministry with larger attendance? Another church with more attenders? I we’re honest our flesh can creep in at times and jealousy can take root when we hear of the…
Prayer for Ukraine: Lord you have established your throne in the heavens and your kingdom rules over all! In time of war we are grieved by true evil appearing to get its way. Our great enemy and all those who serve him seek only to steal, kill, and destroy. And yet we can take comfort in knowing that…
Intro Last week we saw Jesus at a wedding. One of my points was that Jesus calls us not to follow a bunch of rules but to a feast! Jesus turned about 150 gallons of water into the highest quality wine to show that he is the ultimate provider and he will provide with his very blood the forgiveness we…
Intro The setting for our text today, on this Valentine’s weekend, is going to be a wedding. I wish I could take credit for planning it this way on purpose but this was God’s doing. John tells us in verse 11, that the miracle or sign Jesus performs is his first and that it was purposeful — this sign…
Intro We’re going to wrap up chapter 1 of John’s gospel today. Two weeks ago we saw that it is in God’s nature to make himself known. Last week, we saw how John the witness joined in God’s mission by proclaiming him to others! Behold the LAMB OF GOD who takes away the sin of the world! This week we will…
- "Not me, but him." To what extent does this attitude characterize your life? How could it be more so (be specific)? 2. How could you structure the pattern of your daily life around making a priority of giving witness to what you know about Jesus? 3. "Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of…
Intro Today we begin a journey together through the Gospel of John. A Gospel is a narrative account of the good news about Jesus — His life, death, and resurrection to reconcile sinners to a holy God. John, the author, is one of Jesus’ closest disciples. And he makes his purpose for writing very clear.…
Intro This Sunday is Sanctity of Human Life Sunday. I’ve chosen to stand in solidarity with churches across our country to raise awareness of the need to protect the most vulnerable and voiceless people in our society — the unborn! Churches across the nation set aside this Sunday because it is the closest…
Intro Good morning church! I hope you are all warm and safe at home. I do miss our gathering but I am thankful that in a lesser sense this technology allows us to engage in a less than ideal way but engage non the less. This week I had planned on beginning a new sermon series that will take us through…
Intro Well, it’s a new year! This is the time of year when many reflect back on the year that was and look forward with hopefulness to all the possibilities of the year to come. It’s also a time when many people make resolutions — determining to do or not do certain things... Eating better Exercising…
I pulled in to a gas station recently and my son made the comment that THIS IS GOING TO TAKE FOREVER! It’s hard to wait when you’re a kid. As a kid, I remember my mom telling my brothers and I to wait in the car while she ran into a store to return an item. And so, we waited, and waited, and waited!…
Intro Waiting is not something we like to do... 2 day shipping is why Amazon is crushing it today. I can click buy and in many cases, it will be on my doorstep the next day! We don’t like to wait in lines. If I see a long line at a drive through, I may not even stop or I will go inside to order. As adults,…
Thanksgiving Service Next Sunday the 21st I’m going to be preaching on mission today. And so far this morning, we’ve heard from our missionaries the Manda’s and we’ve prayed for a number of shoebox gifts that will be carrying the gospel to who knows where in the world! Let me add now, that our Library…
Intro We’ve been in a series this fall exploring what it means to be a church member. We’ve seen from 1 Tim 3:15 , how significant the church is and how worthy it is to give our lives to, because... The church is the dwelling place and household of the LIVING God — charged with upholding and displaying…
Intro To this point in this sermon series we’ve been talking about the church — the dwelling place and family of the Living God whose responsibility it is to uphold and display the truth of the Gospel in every generation for ever and ever. We saw how essential it is for the church to gather physically…
Intro I’ve heard this axiom before maybe you have too, that... The safest place to be is in the center of God’s will. This of course sounds nice and it really feels like it should be true. It just makes sense to us that if we do all that God asks of us then we should therefore experience safety and protection.…
Intro We all want to be happy don’t we? We see these words in the Declaration of Independence... We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.…
Camping at Word of Life all next week. Tim Strait from Harmony Baptist in Middletown will be preaching for me the next Sunday the 8th and the following Sunday the 15th. I will be back on the 15th though…just not preaching. So, I’ll see you then. Intro Have you ever felt like God was distant or maybe…
Intro One fundamental aspect of relationships is communication. When we communicate we draw near to another. The God of the Bible wants us to know Him in a relationship. He is not a God who is distant and waits for us to get our act together before He will draw near. He is a God who speaks - who draws…
Intro Today is Refugee Sunday and the 2nd week in our Summer Playlist sermon series in the Psalms. So, in a moment we are going to look at Psalm 142 together and discover the heart of God for the weak and vulnerable in our world. But first, some sobering statistics. We’ve already seen a video this morning…
REVIEW: Be watchful to guard against gospel drift Fight the flesh by walking in the Spirit and bearing spiritual fruit Persevere under pressure in: Faith Hope Love Because Jesus is worth it! Then we looked at Jesus’ prayer for Unity for his followers. Our ability to reach our community will always be…
Review: Kingdom Building Our desire is to seek God advance His Kingdom in our community in us and through us. Be watchful to guard against gospel drift Fight the flesh by walking in the Spirit and bearing spiritual fruit Persevere under pressure in: Faith Hope Love Because Jesus is worth it! Then we…
You may have noticed on your way in this morning that some of our health policies have changed. In light of the new CDC recommendations and the State of New York’s updated health guidelines. The elders have decided that masks will now be optional for all fully vaccinated individuals. If you are not vaccinated…
Intro We have a prayer sheet that goes into the bulletin each week. It’s a list of ways that you can be praying for each other. Sharing prayer requests is something many of us are familiar with. Some of us keep our own list of things that we pray for — things that we ask God for. One of the things we’ve…
Main Idea Building well requires perseverance under pressure because Jesus is worth it! Intro The author of Hebrews is writing to what is likely a group of persecuted Jewish followers of Jesus. They face daily the threat of death or imprisonment. And because of this some have decided that life would…
Intro Last week we saw in revelation 3 a caution to be watchful as we seek to advance the kingdom of God here in the Hudson valley lest we make the same mistake as the church in Sardis and drift from the gospel. This week we’ll be in Paul’s letter to the Galatian church and we’ll see why we must be a…
Intro We’re entering a new chapter together as a church. It’s not accurate any longer to say that we are a church in transition. A few years ago, we were in a place where we had only a one elder who also happened to the the youth pastor. We had a health assessment done by our association to help get…
Intro Our church mission statement is: To glorify God by making and growing fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ. This is not a novel statement. And it shouldn’t be. As a church we don’t get to decide what our mission will be. Christ is the head of the Church and we get our marching orders directly…