Capital City Baptist Church: Recent Episodes
They asked Jesus whether we should. give to Caesar. He answered with a different word: render - pay back what already belongs to Him. Caesar's image is on the coin; God's image is on you.
Anger is your whole-body response to a violation of your core values. Be angry, but sin not.
If the Lord Jesus were to come inspect His house today, what would He find? Would He find prayer, care and Praise? Or would He find cheating, skimming, and self-promotion?
The Lord can use whatever He chooses, and He chooses to use the lowliest to confound the mighty.
The kingdom of God does not operate the same as the kingdom of this world. He would be the greatest among us must be a servant.
The Lord's parable points us to an important truth: you cannot hand an invoice for your service to the One who gave His life for you.
At this dinner, we find Jesus dining at Simon the Pharisee's house. The story highlights the contrast between Simon's skepticism and the woman's shocking demonstration of love and repentance. It then poses the question to us: how will we respond to the invitation of Jesus? Simon and the uninvited guest left dinner differently, one left forgiven, and with peace, one left with mere answers and facts. How you respond to the invitation from Jesus makes all the difference.
Any good deed, done with the sincerest of attitude is defiled by the taint of sinful intent.
Good Master, what good thing must I do to inherit eternal life? The question is flawed because it starts with the premise that we can do anything.
Psalm 23:1-6 5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. 6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.
Suffer the little children to come to Jesus and forbid them not. For of such are the Kingdom of God.
The Resurrection of Christ directly impacts the eternity of every believer: now in life, in the moment of our death, and in the life to come.
Jesus was not the King they expected, but He is the King they needed. He is the King we all need.
Sometimes the thorns need to remain to remind us that God is there and that He is good.
Live biblically by example in Word and in Deed. Live godly and do what is right always. Love truthfully.
A godly, Spirit-led husband does not demand for his wife to submit. And a godly wife desires to follow her Spirit-led husband.
The strengthening of individual godly habits will turn into the strength of our church body.
We grow in the love of God by allowing our hearts to be directed by His love and by praying for our hearts to be rooted in His love. That growth is evidenced in our own love toward others.
"Know Christ, Know Peace. No Christ, No Peace." If you know Christ you will know peace, but if you don't know Christ you won't know Peace.
When you are offended, what do you do? Jesus said that there is a right way to handle this part of your sanctification.
The disciples asked "Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?" Jesus answered by carefully teaching His disciples about the dangers pf offending the least of His children who believe on Him.
The Messiah had good reason to take three disciples up on the high mountain; He must fulfil all the Messianic prophesies.
This text gives us a pattern to watch for, the preparations we should make, and the promise to cling to as we await His return.
Mission is God making Himself look glorious by drawing men and women from every nation, tongue, and tribe to His glorious salvation through faith in Jesus. And He is Accomplishing that purpose called missions by sending us, His followers.
Proverbs 30:8 "Remove far from me vanity and lies: give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food convenient for me:"
Your confession of the true identity of Jesus Christ is directly tied to your salvation.
There is none righteous; all are in need of a Saviour. That includes the pharisees, the multitudes, and the disciples. We all need Jesus.
When you recognise that He is the Son of God, you no longer need to fear, and can fall in worship before Him.
The heart of the King is open to all men, but it is specifically inclined toward His followers.
Sin always complicates life, but our Saviour continually shows compassion on the needy.
Caution: familiarity breeds contempt. There is grave danger when we view the majestic as mundane.
Jesus calls those who have ears to listen as He teaches about our hearts in the parable of the soils.
Those who claim to be the spokesmen of God can often be the ones who are in the greatest need of repentance; for there is none righteous.
When the merciful KING touches our broken lives, HE makes something beautiful - for Himself and for others to see.
You cannot simply stand by, indifferent, when you have been presented with the mighty works of the Messiah.
It is possible for even the closest of Christ's followers to doubt; but when you hear from Him, your doubt will be dispelled.
Wrong beliefs can cause us to abandon His Great Commission; but drawing near to Him will increase our faith.
The Risen King has called us to take the gospel to the nations, but doubt and unbelief will stand in the way of our obedience to Him.
Throughout the crucifixion and resurrection. the Lord Jesus spoke to those who were near Him. Listen for His voice.
Mary did her best, based on what she had seen. He continues to give beyond our compression.
As you go, be alert to coming persecution, and continue to follow His instructions, while trusting His promises.
The Lord Jesus has provided clear instructions on how His disciples are to carry His message: Be like Him.
The Biblical model of a godly child is one who honours his parents, follows their guidance, and understands that this obedience is more than just to his parents; it is towards God.
The Biblical model of a godly woman is to be one whom her husband can safely trust, and whom her children rise to call blessed.
The Biblical model of a godly man is to be loving and honouring husbands first, and than to be a training and disciplining father.
May God grant strength for your inner man, and may Christ dwell in your heart, and may you grasp the incomprehensible love of Christ so that you might be filled with the fulness of God.
Our provoking, assembling, and exhorting are rooted in His faithfulness. The gathering of the Church body is the single most important time of the week.
If Jesus spent so much time in prayer to the Father, how much more do we need to call upon our Father in Heaven?
"All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: "
The first time He came, He was the meek and lowly Christ child, coming to die for the sins of the world- Yours and mine. Are you like Simeon today? Are you waiting for Him to return?
Our Heavenly Father sees and knows what His children need; and He provides for those needs.
The Saviour is set forth an example to be followed, and He calls us to continue his work.
Behold, there are two types of people: Those who believe, and those who do not believe.
He Who is Sovereign over sin has the ability to see sin, condemn sin, forgive sin, and hold accountable those who live in sin.
There is a right way and there is a wrong way, and you don't get on the right way by accident.
Your Father in Heaven knows what you need and is able to provide; therefore you have no need to worry.
The Heavenly Father invites us to bring our prayer before Him, with simplicity and humility.
The motivation for spiritual discipline is not in the praise of men, but in the joy that is found in knowing the Lord.
True Disciples do not live for themselves. They live to bring honour to the One they follow.
The King is glorious and worthy to be followed- but the act of following is neither cheap nor is it worthless.
Because the Father gave us a sinless son of God as our high priest, we can approach His Heavenly throne with confidence.
Jesus, the Promised Messiah and King, set forth the sign by which His followers would be identified- Baptism.
John the Baptist, in the fulfilment of prophecy, went before the Messiah proclaiming, -Repent- The King is coming with judgment.-
The Gospel impacts a believer's life in various ways. One of the biggest changes is a desire to take this Good News to the nations.
God has a divine plan for your life- and it is important that you focus on running your race for His glory. Speculating about His will for others might prove to be useless.
He gave up His name at the Cross, But He was given a name above every name in His Resurrection.
He made Himself of no reputation and took upon the form of a servant, and was obedient unto the death of the cross.
As peculiar chosen people, Christians should live right, intentionally, and consistently- for the right reason.
A godly parent will recognise the need for a change of heart in his child. Focusing only on the behaviour will lead to creating little hypocrites instead of godly children.
Obedience to parents IS obedience to God. Parents must teach their children to be obedient to God by being obedient to their parents.
Parents must teach their children the purpose for which we were created- to bring Glory to God as His image-bearers. This stands in contrast to the way parents typically think of why children exist.
In this first four sermons on Godly Parenting, we look at the need to understand and apply grace with our children. We must intentionally model grace as we teach our children to know God.
The gathering of believers is the single most important event of each week. It is a vital weapon in your fight against sin.
God has called His followers to be holy. This requires spiritual discipline- and will happen as a believer spends time in the Word of God.
God has chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise, and the weak things of the world to confound the mighty.
Jesus, the Son of David, the Son of Abraham, the Son of God, is the Redeemer of all ugly parts of a lineage- and He invites you to be a part of His family.
The most anticipated moment in history is also the source from which we find our greatest joy- God with us-
A glimpse of the infinite glory of God will stir the heart of a believer to praise Him among the nations.
The ordinances are an outward display of our inward faith. But they should not be the only display for others to see.
Your honest speaking is a reflection of the character of God.-This only happens because of the Transformation that comes from the Gospel.
Despite oppression from without or within, a true believer is called to Be Patient unto the coming of the Lord. Patience will permit you to see the tender mercy of the Lord.
A true believer will not allow the love of money to control his life. Instead, he will use his old god to serve the new God.
After receiving a promise of God's presence and His protection, the Apostle Paul is confronted by an enemy of the Gospel.
Tuesday Morning -3rd Day---Job's friends came with the right intent to weep with him in the midst of his grief that turned into accusations.
Monday Morning -2nd day---The suffering that comes into our lives is for a good reason and out of God's love for us.
Sunday Night -1st Night---Jesus was careful with His words so that those who were-are lost can understand.
Ruth became the kindness of God when she leveraged all that she had and all that she was to meet the needs of another, Naomi.
-All men count all men mortal, but in their hearts, they would make exception in their own case.- - Charles Spurgeon
A true believer will not act like the world who are consumed by lust- instead a true believer will live in a spirit of grace because he has been a recipient of grace.
Heavenly wisdom is a reflection of the change that God has done in the heart of a true believer, and it will be demonstrated through a godly life with a spirit of meekness.
The change that happens in the heart as a result of the Gospel should be reflected in a change of speech as well.
It is possible to believe without truly being saved. In today's passage, James exhorts us to examine our faith to see if it is real.
You cannot hold the faith that comes from the Lord of Glory and be a respecter of persons. But there is liberty to be found in following the royal law of Christ - -Love others--
-When we got saved our destiny has changed.- --Friday Night Bible study we had a special speaker, Missionary James Grigger.
Our past often arises to accuse our conscience and dilute our faith in God's complete forgiveness. Let's explore how God wants us to react to His forgiveness.
There are evidences of a Gospel-Transforming life that can be seen in a Believer. Anyone who assumes he is a Believer should examine himself to see whether those evidences are present.
Count it joy when you face different kinds of trials, for your faithful endurance in temptation is evidence that you are a believer.
James, the brother of Jesus, writes to believers exhorting them to examine their faith- there should be evidence of repentance.
-Surely goodness and Mercy shall follow me all the days of my life.- -Eternal life starts at the point of Salvation.
Scripture is clear that there are godly ways to act towards each other, especially within marriage.
Your flesh will tell you that you want more than what God has given you. Your heart will tell you that something else is worth worshiping. But idolatry always leads to heartache.
We patiently await the day when Our Redeemer, the Mighty Man of Wealth, will make all things right.
When the storms of -life come, you will find that He is a shelter -in which you can trust.
The resurrection of Christ gives hope for your coming resurrection and strength to your present spiritual walk.
The Resurrection of Christ is- -the foundation of your salvation, and the hope of your resurrection.
Many people have looked upon the cross with different responses. To adapt Pilate's question- What will you do with Jesus, who is called Christ--
Godly friendship will steer you in paths of righteousness, and are built around the commonality of being in Christ.
John 3-3 - Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
Something drove Paul to take a 5,000 km detour to Jerusalem before he could go to Rome and Spain.
Christ brought the truth to the Jew first- and the Gospel continues to be taken to the Gentiles to this day.
Unity in the church brings glory to God, and it happens when one believer builds up another through carrying his burden, just like Christ did for us.
The Transformation found in the Gospel should draw believers together, even over divisive topics.
Holding fast to our profession of faith is directly tied to faithfully gathering with God's people.
Godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come.
The Birth of the ForeRunner is Mercy, because you cannot talk about the Forerunner without talking about the Messiah.
The Angel Gabriel announced to Mary that she would carry the Saviour of the world. and He would be GREAT.
Out of a mundane service of the priest, Zacharias was amazed at the promise of God to give them a son in answer to their prayer.
God created you to fill a specific roll of glorification and edification. -Above finding out what God's will is for us, our desire should be to Glorify Him in ALL things.
A comparison of the poor example of Micah's mother to the virtuous lady of Proverbs 31.
Moses's instructions to Israeli fathers on the Eve of their crossing into the Promised Land reveals God's heart for how fathers should be ever listening to the Word, loving the Lord and Leading their families.
In a special sermon directed to children, we see that there are good Biblical reasons why you should obey your parents.
In order to help our children have godly homes, we need to model godly homes. Their futures can be greatly shaped by our present godly living.
Leave the lesser ways of walking in darkness, gain the better ways of putting on the Lord Jesus Christ.
The sufferings of this present life are not worthy to be compared to the Glory that is to come.
Since believers are indwelled by the Holy Spirit, we no longer are debtors to the flesh. Instead, we are brought into a much stronger relationship with the Lord- we are His Children
The Bible is God's revelation of Himself, inspired by the Holy Spirit and it is true and accurate in its revelation.
2 Cor. 5-20--Now then we are ambassadors for Christ- -Question is -what kind of ambassador are you--
Realize that you are a foreigner not because the world has disowned you, but because God has accepted you.
Sin used the law to gain a foothold in my life- but upon entry, sin found a sympathizer in my flesh. The battle rages, but victory is there for those who are in Christ.
Sin uses the Law in ways that God never intended- and yet God used the Law to show how sinful sin really is.
We are dead to the law so that we might be brought into relationship with Christ and bear fruit unto God.
The Servants of sin will not escape its wages- but those who are IN CHRIST are given gifts we do not deserve.
God has given us the ability to choose to follow after righteousness- and He has promised that this road will bring life.
If you are in Christ, you are now dead to dead and alive unto God. Truly knowing this will change what you believe and how you act.
The actions of one person can have a massive impact on the lives of others. Jesus's gift of righteousness should make a huge impact in your life.
While we were still enemies against God, He did the hardest thing possible- He gave His only begotten Son in order to reconcile us to Himself.
Trials are God's way of making us more like Christ- but He has not left us without hope in those trials.
The Gospel is the Foundational building Block upon which we find spiritual blessings provided by the Lord Jesus.
God gave a promise to Abraham and his seed. Those who believe God are the recipients of that promise, and will inherit the world.
Abraham, justified by Faith- and David, blessed by forgiveness of sin- these Old Testament forefathers remind us that God does not owe us anything.
God set forth Jesus to be a propitiation to declare His own righteousness and be both just and justifier of those who believe.
One sentence gives hope after 64 verses of condemnation. We are made righteous by faith in Christ.
When you stop doing what you were created for, you will head down a spiral as God gives up on you.
The Gospel is the ONLY THING that will transform lives- it is the power of God unto Salvation to every one who Believes.
When you understand how much the Gospel has transformed your life, you will naturally begin to serve the Body of Christ.
A Historical background on the Epistle to the Romans points us to the need for a new identity in Christ.
The Lord Jesus Christ went to the Cross in a calculated decision to pay for the sin of the world and to gain the people of the world to Himself.
The Spiritual are commanded to restore the fallen in a spirit meekness and with awareness of their own ability to fall.
The flesh wars against the Spirit- and the Spirit against the flesh. God has given us four commands for how to live, and a promise for how to overcome the flesh.
Only a fool would jump into an endeavour without first counting the cost. The Lord Jesus clearly lays out for His followers what it will cost and what they will gain by taking His Glorious Gospel to the nations.
World mission is an unfailing endeavour because God is passionate about spreading His own glory in the face of Jesus Christ.
Reading, Meditation and Memorizing the Scriptures will help you in seeking first the Kingdom of God.
-Liberty- Legalism and Licence.- A misunderstanding of Grace will lead someone into legalism or licence. The cure of this mindset is Love.
The Apostle Paul returns to the Old Testament to argue one last time for the fact that the Law is unable to make us free from sin.
After speaking strongly to the Galatians, Paul changes his tone in today's passage, and begs the believers to understand grace.
How easy it is to offend the brethren by small actions in our lives- And how easy it is for those same small actions to undermine the Gospel.
To attempt to work for salvation will undermine grace, and the end of that attempt is destruction.
John 13-35 By this shall All men see that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one for another.
Paul closes the epistle with rapid-fire commands that help us walk as children of light.
The Day of the Lord is for those appointed to wrath, but you are children of light. There is a specific way that you should walk now.
We have no need to sorrow like those who have no hope, for we which are alive and remain shall not prevent them who have gone before. The Lord will return-
As Paul comes to the first command in the epistle to the Thessalonians, it is a vitally important command directly tied to God's Will for their lives--Abstain from Fornication.
Faith, Love, Hope- the dear characteristics of a believer. The Apostle Paul prayed for the church at Thessalonica to grow in each of these attributes.
The church encourages one another when they continue on in the midst of trials. Paul writes to the church of Thessalonica that they are his joy and crown of rejoicing.
If you receive the Word, it will change your life. If you reject the Word, it will bring destruction.
Missionary John Allen --Papa John-- brings a LifeGroup session on how to Study the Word of God.
The Apostle Paul recalled to the Thessalonians the way he acted around them. He didn't have to change the way he acted--he was just himself, and he was authentic. How you act is shaped by what you believe.
Paul's letter to the Thessalonians is unlike his other epistles. In his opening verses, he states that their salvation is evidenced by the way they endured hardness but still held the faith.
What is God doing in the midst of a crisis like Coronavirus- He is a- punishing and purifying- b- stirring the church to good works- c- shaking us to missionary endeavours.
Today, we explore some of the things that God is accomplishing through this crisis and many other crises.
First in a series on A Biblical Response to Coronavirus. Today's text comes from the Minor Prophet Habakkuk. God is Sovereign over all things.
Christ forgave every character at the Cross. Not all of them realised they needed the forgiveness.
John 18-4 says that Jesus knew what was coming- however, He still chose to go to the Cross.
The night before the Crucifixion, the Lord Jesus had a meal with HIs disciples and gave a commandment to Love One Another.
God will accomplish His purposes, with you or without you. Babel is an evidence of this.