The Hill Baptist Church - Augusta, Georgia: Recent Episodes
Ron Jones
What is of first importance? The answer is the gospel. Listen to this sermon to hear how you can have a relationship with God through Jesus Christ.
What do you want to be when you grow up? What you want to be determines how you prepare. This sermon will help you become what God wants you to be which is a good servant of Jesus Christ.
There is a conspiracy to steal Christmas. This sermon will look at who is behind it and how you can guard against having your Christmas stolen.
Would you keep a snake as a pet? If so, be careful with it because it has a painful bite. Proverbs says that alcohol has a bite like that of a snake. This sermon seeks to explore what the Bible says about how a Christian should handle alcohol.
This sermon will share three ways we can unravel society. It may include some other ideas as well.
Sex is a gift from God but that gift should only be opened in a certain type of relationship. Listen to this sermon for more info.
What is your greatest possession? How safe is it? This sermon will reveal what your greatest possession is and how to keep it guarded.
What would cause you to change course and follow someone you have never seen? Consider what caused Peter to change course and perhaps you will too.
What causes people to change course in life? What causes people to chose to take a different job, move their family across the country, or adopt a new worldview? This sermon looks at Moses and seeks to find out what caused him to change course and follow God. Do you need to change course?
Love is not meant to simply be defined but it is meant to be demonstrated. This sermon will explore two things love is and four things love isn't.
The Messiah will be an Everlasting Father. How can the Son of God be an Everlasting Father? This sermon will help unpack this third title for the Messiah from Isaiah 9:6.
God told Isaiah to look for a King that would be a Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace. This sermon will seek to show that Jesus is the One that Isaiah was looking forward to. Jesus is the Mighty God.
Do you want to be content in life? Most people do. This sermon will explore the cost of contentment.
Once we finally realize that we need to approach God in order to find satisfaction to our deepest longing, how should we approach Him? This sermon will show three ways the fool approaches God and, in contrast, how we ought to approach God.
Solomon sees many disturbing things in life. How are we to respond to injustice, oppression, materialism, etc.? Listen to this sermon to find out. Note: In one illustration I reference South America instead of South Africa by mistake.
Can the meaning of life be found by taking the path of pleasure? Listen to this sermon to find out.
Can you find meaning in the pursuit of knowledge and wisdom? Listen to this sermon and find out.
Why do we give money to the local church? Why does God need my money? These were questions that I asked when I first became a Christian and started attending church services. This sermon will help you understand how God uses our giving for His glory.
The question is straightforward, What happens when you die? Some say you cease to exist. Others say you are reincarnated. What do you think? This sermon will explore what the Bible says about life after death.
This sermon seeks to show how a holy, good, all-knowing and all-powerful God can coexist with evil and suffering.
Is science and Christianity compatible? What about belief in miracles and evolution? This sermon will seek to answer those questions.
Don't all religions basically teach the same thing? Isn't arrogant to say that your religion has the truth? This sermon will seek to answer those questions and more.
Was Jesus a liar, lunatic, legend or is He the Lord? This sermon will seek to answer this question.
In this passage in Colossians we will see the hope of the gospel, possible suffering for the gospel, and the ministry of the gospel.
Who or what is first place in your life? Is Jesus just one of many gods or many things you worship? This sermon seeks to understand Paul's teaching to the Colossian Christians that says Jesus must be in first place.
I love hearing good news, don't you? The letter to the Colossians begins by telling us the results of hearing good news. The sermon will explore what the Apostle Paul heard that caused him to burst into thankful prayer and what the Colossians heard that caused dramatic life change.
The Triumphal entry is about Jesus bringing in a kingdom that was unexpected. This king reigns but he reigns from a throne made from a cross.
The substitutionary death of Jesus was the climax and fulfillment of a pattern of substitutionary sacrifices in the Old Testament.
Sin is serious. Forgiveness is costly. God in Christ through the cross has dealt with sin so that we can experience forgiveness. As a result we are now in a position where we can extend forgiveness to others.
Who killed Jesus? The answer to this question contains many layers. This sermon will seek to peel back each layer and uncover the core reason why Jesus died.
God send his Son into the world to find lost people. Jesus sends those he finds out to find others.
We don't serve to be saved but we have been saved by grace to serve the Lord and others.
How do you respond to God's gift of eternal life in Jesus Christ? Do you respond with rejection, questioning, or love?
Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? Who is my neighbor? These two questions were asked by a theologian to test Jesus. Jesus' answer will challenge you!
In Jesus' parable of the laborers in the vineyard we are confronted by the generous grace of God. Are you thankful for His grace or do you grumble at how He extends His generosity?
The parable of the rich man and Lazarus teaches us that the way we use our resources says a lot about where we will spend eternity. How are you using what God has given you?
The sons of the kingdom and the sons of the evil one both grow together in the world. How should the church respond to evil? Is there a way to change from a weed to wheat? These are a few of the questions that will be answered in this sermon on the parable of the weeds among the wheat.
In the parable of the ten virgins we are challenged to be prepared for the coming of the bridegroom. This sermon will help you evaluate your preparedness.
Are you a faithful servant or a wicked servant? These are the two categories that Jesus gives in the parable found in Matthew 24. This sermon will help you discover which servant you are and if there is any hope for change.
Jesus is invited to a dinner party by a Pharisee. In the middle of the meal Jesus is showered with affection by a woman with a bad reputation. In turn, Jesus tells a parable. Listen to this sermon and see who you relate to in this story.
God is seeking and saving. Celebration is in order when the lost are found. And we should always be willing to leave to find the one. This sermon will look at the parables of the lost sheep and the lost coin.
This sermon will show that throughout Scripture God has been calling out a people to worship Him, He has given us instruction as to how we ought to worship Him, and several things happen when we genuinely worship.
This sermon will seek to explain what the mission of God is and how the local church can be involved in its fulfillment.
Is the idea of local church membership biblical? Should you become a member of a local church? This sermon will seek to answer these two questions.
If you were to ask people the question, "What is the Church?" you would receive several different answers. Some will define it as a building with a cross on it. Other will define it as a meeting that takes place at 11am on Sunday mornings. In this sermon we are going to explore how the Bible defines the Church.
In this passage Paul tells us at least three truths. The first truth is that there are two ways to live. The second truth is that God uses the barren among us. The third truth is that there will be persecution within.
In his letters, Paul often refers to adoption to describe our relationship with God in Christ. In this sermon we will look at the change of position, the payment that is required, and the privilege that can be enjoyed by the one who is adopted into the family of God.
What is one of the most misunderstood aspects of Christianity? For many, it is the role of the law and the role of the gospel. In this sermon, we will try to gain some clarity on the role of the guardian and the role of the gospel.
How can we experience peace, exhibit trust, and respond in praise when faced with the storms of life?
What is the blessing of Abraham? What puts you in right standing with God? This sermon explores Paul's argument found in Galatians 3:1-14.
When we walk out of line with the gospel we need to be confronted with our inconsistency and reminded of the gospel.
Are we allowing the gospel to critique our culture or are we allowing our culture to define the gospel? This is not a new problem for the church. This sermon will explore Galatians 2:1-10 and show why the gospel of Jesus Christ is a transcendent gospel.
Are you a people pleaser? This seems to have been an attack that was levied against the Apostle Paul from some in Galatia. They were attacking his motive and his message. Paul responds by sharing his testimony. This sermon will walk you through his response to his attackers and what we can learn from him.
What is it that makes us prone to wander away from God? Why do we tend to revert back to trying to earn our salvation? In these few verses, Paul addresses a significant problem in the church both then and now. What gospel are you believing?
Are you familiar with the term "Utopia?" Have you ever dreamed of a perfect world, a perfect life, a perfect relationship? In the midst of a message of rebuke comes a message of hope. Micah gives us a glimpse of an Utopian vision that will be true of God's people.
In the job description of every leadership position within the people of God there is the requirement to be just. Micah confronts the leaders of God's people with a stinging rebuke. What about leaders within the church today? What can we learn from Micah's message?
There were several cracks in the community in Micah's day. One of the cracks was formed and filled by greed. Micah 2 will cause us to evaluate how we respond to the issue of stewardship.
Why does the church today have so little impact in many places? The book of Micah will call us back to proper worship and will revitalize our faith.
God is at work in the miraculous and in the mundane. How is God using everyday events to draw your attention to Him? Do you recognize your need for grace? Who is your kinsman redeemer? These are the questions that will be addressed in this sermon.
Names are significant but perhaps not as significant as they were in ancient Hebrew culture. To understand the book of Ruth you need to pay attention to the names. As you listen to this sermon, think about how people would describe you? If they were to name you based on your relationship with God what would they say?
When you hear the word "compassion" what or who comes to your mind? Why should you show compassion? Why should you extend mercy? This sermon will seek to answer those questions.
What sin is overthrowing your city, your neighborhood, your family? What sin is overthrowing you? We need to be overthrown not by sin but by the mercy of God which comes through the gospel of Jesus Christ. This sermon will challenge us to be sent into our cities, our neighborhoods, our families to deliver, through our words and our lives, the message of the gospel.
What would it take for you to confess your sin and turn to God? Growth in the Christian life requires confession of sin and being reminded of the gospel. Are you ready to say "yes" to God? This sermon will dive into Jonah's path to confession.
This sermon explores how the congregation should relate to its leaders and to one another.
Love flows from God to us through the gospel. The flow continues through us to others. The Apostle Paul affirms the love that is present within the Thessalonians church. He then gives them further instruction as to how to channel that love.
Although the young church in Thessalonica was growing in their faith, they still faced several challenges. One of the biggest challenges they faced dealt with sex. In this sermon we will dive into Paul's charge to this young church by answering two questions: What is godly sexuality? and Why should we pursue it?
Fabric is held together and useful because of the many threads that are woven together. In this passage, there are four threads that weave together to produce the fabric of discipleship.
This sermon will attempt to show you that our belief that the Bible is the Word of God is an extension of the same stream that led the Thessalonians to believe that what Paul taught them was the Word of God.
What do you think of when you hear the word 'imitation'? This sermon is going to explore what it looks like to be a healthy imitation of Jesus Christ.
Would your relationship with Christ be described as static or dynamic? Is it motionless or in motion? This sermon will survey the Scripture and show that the people of God are to be a dynamic people. We are to be in motion on mission with God.
How can people call out to Jesus if they have never believed in Jesus? How can they believe if they have not heard? How can they hear unless someone tells them about Jesus? How will someone tell them if they are not sent?
The thread of reaching the nations is woven throughout Scripture! In this worshipful Psalm we see the personal and public worship of God. He is our refuge and he will be exalted among the nations.
We have all experienced adversaries and advocates in our lives. Peter has stringed together several potential adversaries throughout his letter. In chapter five his introduces the Christian to yet one more adversary, the devil. Yet, he quickly reassures us that we have a greater advocate in God. This sermon will explore how we are to deal with our adversaries by clinging to our Advocate!
In this passage of Scripture Peter writes to the elders, the young, and the church as a whole and tells them to clothe themselves with humility. Those who are clothed with humility that comes from faith in Jesus are free to cast their anxieties on God because he cares for them. Have you humbled yourself under the mighty hand of God? Are you carrying anxiety producing burdens that need to be cast onto God? This sermon will encourage you to pursue that path to life!
Why do Christians suffer? Is there any purpose in it whatsoever? This sermon will seek to find out if and when God uses suffering.
An enemy every person must face is death. Is there any way to defeat such an intimidating and powerful enemy? The prophet Isaiah tells us that although death's appetite is insatiable there is One that will swallow up death forever.
Jesus managed the press well during his ministry in order to go public on Palm Sunday! This sermon looks at how Jesus went public with his agenda.
We all know that the Christian life means that we stop doing certain things. Is that all that being a Christian means? What does it look like to follow Christ? The Apostle Peter tells us in this passage that as followers of Jesus we live with a new motivation. This sermon will explore what should be our motivation.
If someone were to ask you why you do what you do what would you tell them? What we have set apart as most important in our lives influences how we live. The Apostle Peter tells us that we should be able to explain to those around us why we, as Christians, live the way we do.
The Apostle Peter gives us 5 characteristics that should be growing and blossoming in the life of someone who has been born again. He then challenges us to trade blessing for suffering. How are we able to translate our words and actions into blessing in the midst of suffering? This sermon will seek to answer that question.
Couched in the midst of the Christian's relationship with the governmental authorities and masters, Peter gives instruction regarding marriage. Do you want to destroy your marriage or do want to pursue a godly marriage?
How would you respond to being treated unjustly? The Apostle Peter says that servants should endure unjust suffering. In this sermon we will see if there is any application for present day Christians with regard to Peter's charge to endure unjust suffering.
Christians have a checkered history with regard to their relationship with the government. The Apostle Peter has a few words to say on the subject. This sermon will seek to thread the needle of the relationship between the Christian and the government.
Why should we do good in this world? Why should we obey God? This sermon seeks to unpack a few verses from the pen of the Apostle Peter that deal with the motivation of doing good.
Mankind has built beautiful and useful structures all over the world. What if God were to build something? What would he build? What would it look like? What would its purpose be? In this sermon we will explore what God is building in the world!
To be healthy physically there are some substances that you need to stop putting into your body and there are others that you need to start putting into your body. Often times there is a parallel between that aspect of us that is seen, the physical, and that aspect of us that is not seen, the spiritual. To be healthy spiritually there are some things that we need to stop feeding on and others that we need to start feeding on. This sermon will explore what is a healthy heavenly diet.
A trademark is a sign or expression that distinguishes a product from those of other companies. What is God's trademark? In this sermon we will explore how God's trademark of holiness becomes visible in our lives.
How do you love someone you have never seen? Can you love someone you have never seen? This sermon looks at how we can love, trust and enjoy a relationship with Jesus Christ even though we have never seen him.
This is the first sermon in our series on 1 Peter. As those who follow Jesus, we live as exiles in the world. Yet, even though we know Jesus is going to return to renew the world, he has a plan for us here and now. In this sermon we learn how to walk out the living hope that we have been born into by faith!
This sermon is the third and final sermon in our advent series on the offices of Christ. What does it mean for Christ to be king? Is Christ the king in your life?
To be reconciled to God, it is not enough to know about Him. We must have some way to deal with our sin problem. To be both just and the justifier God has provided both a priest and a sacrifice in His Son Jesus Christ. It is through His redemptive office and sacrifice that we can be reconciled to God.
There are three offices that we typically associate with God's people in the Old Covenant. These three offices are prophet, priest, and king. During this Advent season we are going to see how Jesus Christ takes on not just one or two of these offices but all three. The first office that will be looked at in this sermon is Christ as prophet.
This is the concluding sermon in the series on faith. This sermon seeks show how the first few verses in chapter 12 incorporates all that was said in chapter 11 of the book of Hebrews. In these verses we learn that the Christian life is like a race. In order for us to have the endurance to run the race and finish well we must learn from others, lay aside excess weight and look to Jesus!
The Christian life is full of both success and suffering. In this sermon, we will explore how we can have a faith that perseveres in the midst of both the successes and the sufferings of life.
When an army enters into battle it faces two opponents. One opponent is the army of the enemy and the other opponent is the battlefield itself. In the battle of life we face two opponents as well. We face barriers due to living in a broken world and we face a militant force seeking to derail our faith in Christ. This passage of Scripture will show us how we can walk with a faith that triumphs.
How should Christians relate to the culture around them? There are some avenues that merge nicely with Christianity and there are others that do not. There are some avenues that can be accepted and others that need to be refused. In this sermon, we will look at the life of Moses according to the writer of Hebrews and see how he navigated the intersection of God and culture.
If you knew that you were going to die tomorrow what would be your last words? What instructions or words of wisdom would you share with your loved ones? In this sermon we look at the last words of a great man of faith.
In most things that we experience in life there seems to be a cause and effect relationship. There seems to be an action and reaction relationship in nature, in our relationships with one another, and even in our relationship with God. What happens when God acts in our lives in a saving way? What reactions does God's saving act produce? In this sermon we will explore how our lives are changed when we experience the saving act of God.
We all want to be blessed. The question is, "How do we obtain a position of blessing before God and why should God bless us?" God told Abraham that he would bless him that he would be a blessing to the nations. This promise makes its way, in spite of much sin and rebellion, from Abraham to Isaac and then to Jacob. In this sermon we will see how both Esau and Jacob sought their father's blessing. We will also look at how we tend to seek our Father's blessing.
Sometimes even the gifts that God himself gives us can threaten our trust in him. In this passage of Scripture the writer of Hebrews directs our attention to a dramatic test that God gave Abraham. How do you respond to God when his command seems to jeopardize his promises?
We all want a homeland. We all want a place that we feel connected to. We all want to experience a sense of belonging. In this passage of Scripture we see that if your faith is in God then you will never find your homeland in this life. Although God allows us to experience different degrees of community in this life it is always disrupted by sin and death. In this sermon we will explore what it looks like to live day by day in faith knowing that our homeland will be fully realized in the life to come.
Have you ever been scammed? Has anyone ever promised you something that seems too good to be true? In this sermon we will look at a promise that God gave Sarah and Abraham. At first this promise seems highly unlikely if not impossible. However, over time their laughter turns to belief and God does something amazing. Do you believe God's promises? May our laughter and unbelief turn into faith!
What would it take for you to be called out of your current situation and move forward in faith? This sermon explores what Abram was called out of and what he was called to by God. It truly required a faith that obeys! Do you have a faith that obeys?
Do you have a faith that prepares you for what God is going to do? Are you prepared to meet Christ when he returns? Are you preparing to meet Christ when he returns? Looking back to the faith-filled account of Noah, the writer of Hebrews encourages us to persevere in our faith.
There are many people in our lives that we try to please. We want to please our family, friends, employers, employees, customers, etc... What about God? How can we please God? The writer of Hebrews deals with this subject in verses 5 & 6 in chapter 11.
The writer of Hebrews reaches back and brings forward a historical example of faith in action. He encourages those who are struggling to persevere in faith with the faith of Abel. Cain and Abel approach God with a sacrifice and one is accepted and the other is turned away. What is the difference? Listen to this sermon to find out!
This is the first sermon in a series on Faith based on Hebrews 11. We will walk through this chapter verse by verse. We will stop along the way as the author introduces us to historic people of faith. This sermon sets up this series by looking at the context of Hebrews 11. We see the pattern the author will follow as we takes us on this journey of faith!
This sermon is part 2 of a two part series on sharing our faith with others. In this sermon we will look at how inviting people into Christian community and to the hearing of God's Word is inviting them to come and see Jesus.
As Christians we are to tell others about Jesus. However, is there more than one way to share your faith? In this two week sermon series we will look at two basic ways to introduce people to Jesus Christ.
We have reached the summit of 1 John. John concludes his letter with a summary of what he has been pointing his readers to throughout his letter. Listen to hear how John concludes this encouraging yet challenging letter!
In these few verses the Apostle John explains why he wrote this letter. He also explains how relational security produces relational confidence. Do you know you have eternal life? How does that effect your prayer life? Listen to this message to see how the two are connected.
Are you overcoming the world or is the world overcoming you? In this passage of Scripture the Apostle John tells us how we can have victory over the world. He also warns us of two threats to our spiritual growth.
What do it mean to abide in God and be perfected by His love? Listen to this sermon on 1 John 4:12-21 to find out!
Repetition is used to enforce ideas and skills. John uses repetition in his letter to make his point very clear. What could be so important that it would be repeated three times in three chapters? Listen to the sermon to find out!
John tells his readers to "test the spirits" in order to see if they are from God or not. How do you do that? Well, in this passage John gives us some very practical advice on how we discern truth from error.
Has your heart ever condemned you? If you have never placed your faith in Christ then the accusations of your heart may be true. However, if you are a Christian then it is possible that your heart is condemning you with false accusations. In this passage John helps his readers to know how to reassure their hearts.
Throughout the letter of 1 John the readers are continually reminded of the fruit of saving faith. One prominent outworking of true faith is love. In this passage John contrasts a life that takes life with a life that gives life. Through these examples we see what love is.
John tells us that we are either children of God or children of the devil. Whose child are you? In order to help us see whose child we are John gives us two benchmarks. The two benchmarks that John gives us are the future coming of Christ and the first coming of Christ. Listen and see whose child you are.
In this letter John gives his readers three tests of saving faith. The first is obedience. The second is love and the third is a test of truth. What do you believe about Jesus? This is the third and most fundamental test of saving faith.
If you could ask one thing of the Lord what would it be? What do you desire most? John tells us where we should place our ultimate desire in these wonderful verses!
How do you know if you have saving faith? In verses 3-11 John gives his readers two tests of saving faith.
Jesus is the propitiation for our sins. Therefore, in Christ, all that is required for us to walk with God for eternity has been accomplished.
We must be found in Christ if we are going to spend eternity with God who is light and in whom there is no darkness at all.
If you are a Christian then you have been ransomed. You have been freed through the ransom of Jesus Christ.
As the Church we must possess individual faith that is expressed consistently in community.
What does it mean to be a city on a hill? What does it mean to be the light of the world? What responsibility do we have as a Church to those who are not yet believers?
Because of what Christ has done for us there is constantly a thread of thanksgiving weaving its way through our lives, 1 Thessalonians 5:18.