FBCJ SOLID Youth: Recent Episodes
Cory Howell
This podcast contains messages from the SOLID Youth Ministry at the First Baptist Church of Jackson in Massillon, OH.
Opening testimony by Kira Syrios PowerPoint slides available here! This message takes a brief overview of the history of Catholicism with a specific emphasis on its founders as well as its authority. As will be our manner, we then look at what the Bible has to say about both.
The many personalities of the book of Esther speak directly of the various types of people in our sphere of influence that God wants us to reach. How do you evangelize these types of people? This message serves as a precursor to our new evangelism series we begin next week.
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The goal of this series is for us to see not only what we believe but WHY we believe it. We also want to have a better understanding of the various beliefs found all around us so that we can better reach our community with the true gospel and see people come to GENUINE salvation. We kick off our fall series looking at what the Bible says constitutes a true local church.
It's during times of transition where the enemy seems to attack the most subtly. With school starting back up, and with two new studies on the way, we need to take some time of introspection to look at this all-important minor prophet. This book packs a punch, and it's what SOLID needs to help us stay focused in this time of transition.
Opening testimony by Alex Mencini We close out our study on the crowns by looking at the subject matter of balance and temperance. If you're a spiritual athlete running the race and fighting the good fight, you need to know how to tap into this.
Daniel's entire life was upended at the age of 15 as he was trafficked away from everything he knew. But rather than face all kinds of horrors, he was given the world and everything in it (1 Jn. 2:15-17) on a platter. He could have given himself over to the world had it not been for his purpose-driven heart. What would you do in that situation?
These back-to-back crowns go hand-in-hand as they both have to do with loving people. Remember: we're going to be tried not for how much we did these things, but "what sort it is" (1 Cor. 3:13). Is your heart for these causes?
Rather than go to 2 Kings 22, we're setting our sights on the 2 Chronicles account for additional details that are often left out for Josiah's story. What is it that God really wants you to do when you discover the book for yourself?
This one gets heavy...Often nicknamed "The Martyr's Crown", you don't necessarily have to die a physical death in order to achieve it, but it must be through death that it is earned.
God took us on a bit of a detour with this message to look at what our response should be to the things that are outside the realm of our control. We also look at the key to V.I.C.T.O.R.Y. over giants as well as finishing the character qualities of David that made him a teen God used.
This crown Paul knew he was going to receive as he reached the end of his life (2 Tim. 4:8). How sure are you that the gold, silver, and precious stones of your service will earn you this crown?
We often think of David as a beast for slaying a bear, lion, Goliath and thousands upon thousands of Israel's enemies. Yet, God tells us that as a teenager, he refuses people that have it all together on the outside. David's heart and humility as a teenager set him apart from the rest.
Download our youth devotional here
When Samuel was a teen, he didn't let one of God's words fall to the ground. Because of this, he had a close relationship with the Lord. However, this probably wouldn't have been the case had he not been in the right place, at the right time, doing the right things as a child. How do you respond when things are outside of your control?
Download our youth devotional here!
If the rapture were to occur before you finished reading this sentence, the next step in your journey is to give an account for your service to the Lord Jesus Christ. Are you making yourself ready for your wedding day (Rev. 19:7-8) or will you be ashamed at his coming (1 Jn. 2:28)?
Download our new SOLID Devotional here!
We can grow so accustomed to the Bible stories that happen to adults that we forget how many occur during the teen years. We kick off this study looking at a 17-year-old who possessed impeccable character which God then used to not only bring his family together, but to "save many people alive".
It's a new day and a new group that comprises SOLID. We all need reminded of who we are and why we do what we do. This time, we glean an example from the Scriptures to help us understand our role in the body of Christ.
The last words of Joshua serve as both a send-off message to our seniors as well as a charge to the underclassmen: when you cleave unto the Lord, you will be a force to be reckoned with. But if you choose to cleave to the world and your flesh, you'll find out that God is very good at keeping his commitments.
1) Kaitlyn Mencini, 2) Warren Lafferty, 3) Noah Mays, 4) Sami Orock, 5) Peyton Wengerd, 6) Landon Cresong, 7) Isabella Crecco
A common thread for many of us from camp was "boldness". Today we take a look at some passages on the topic that aren't your typical Sunday School verses as well as an example of the wrong kind of boldness.
Here in Daniel 6, a plot has been set against Daniel in an attempt to take his life. Daniel is put in a position where he must make a decision: stay committed to the Lord or succumb to the pressure.
We conclude our miniseries in the book of Numbers by gleaning principles found within the book. With the school year done, this message serves as a heart-check going into camp; to evaluate ways we may be wandering so that we go into next week ready for the fight.
In order for the walls of obstruction to fall in our lives, we first must fall. When Joshua encountered the Lord Jesus Christ in Gilgal, there were certain things God revealed to him face-to-face concerning the things in the way. In order for us to reach where God is leading us, we must change our perspective by looking at the Savior!
Click here to watch the video clip that accompanies this lesson towards the end in PowerPoint.
Numbers 32 is another watershed chapter that very well could have led to another 40 years of wandering had Gad and Reuben not made the right choice. Are you settling down in your Christian walk, or are you still in the fight?
We've had 4 of our own go on Discipleship Mission trips lately. We're going to hear from them as well as two more awesome open doors that came up this past week.
On paper, Balaam and Phinehas have more in common than meets the eye. In this message we take a deep dive into both men's lives. Ask yourself: who are you when you're under pressure? When you're being put to the test, what's inside of you comes out, as was the case with Balaam and Phinehas.
The things Paul counted as "dung" when he saw Christ represent things you and I still struggle with after salvation. This message looks at four elements of pride that Paul surrendered at the foot of the cross, and they're four elements that we need to combat daily.
Everyone knows the story of Korah...few know the story of his sons and how they refused to let the past define them. Hear their legacy beyond the wilderness and glean from your own life applications for things outside your control.
We were going to continue our study, but events of this week altered the course of the message. God isn't done speaking to us about the self-life and the self-sins that we allow to rule inside of us.
Here we look at our first few warriors of the book of Numbers who stood up and refused to wander like the rest. Are you "of another spirit" (Num. 14:24)? Have you "wholly followed the Lord" this school year (Josh. 14:8)? If you've lost steam to finish well then this message is for you!
Isaiah's vision of God, while similar to John's, gets more specific with what he sees when his eyes take an inward turn to his own sinfulness. His response reveals more to us as we compare scripture with scripture to see the depths of our hearts and the self-sins that keep us back from full devotion.
A predominant trait of a wanderer in the book of Numbers is that of a murmurer & disputer. Nothing will slow down momentum more and prevent us from finishing well. As you'll see, nothing dropped more bodies in the book of Numbers than complaining. Do any of these 7 murmuring events strike a chord with you?
In our busy season is when we often lose sight of what true devotion to Jesus Christ looks like. In those moments, we need a fresh look into the mirror (2 Cor. 3:18) to see him on a daily basis as John saw him in Revelation 1 so that we too may become "as dead" for his use.
Spring can be horrendous for a young believer. Exams, final assignments, procrastinated projects, prom, and incessant games & practice can eat away at your time and cause you to lose focus on the eternal things of God. This miniseries is for us to press forward to finish well and not lose the momentum that we as SOLID have gained over the course of the past year. Grab your sword and shield and press forward!
In the finale to this series on the King James Bible, we look at ways the devil works his "son" into modern Bibles. In our conclusion, we look at the point of all of this and the stirring challenge these truths leave for us all.
Uriah the Hittite was an example to Israel in a time of complacency. This message goes along perfectly with our Sunday Morning series in that we need to combat our own complacency by never forgetting the gift of the word & words of God!
Parts 1 & 2 of this mini-series dealt with how the Alexandrian bibles attack the character and deity of the Lord Jesus Christ. This message looks at the building blocks and cement mortar that these same bibles contain to resurrect the Tower of Babel. We look at how Satan is working to unite Easter mystical religions and the occult with western Catholic/Protestantism for his one-world government & religious system.
In part 1, we looked at how modern bibles modify essential doctrines of Christ. In part 2, we are examining how these bibles weaken the deity of Christ and why it is of the utmost importance.
Did Jesus die on a Friday? Did he really resurrect on Sunday??? Is there an error in our Bible concerning Easter and the Passover? Where does Easter and all of its traditions come from? Let's ruin Easter!
Most know Acts 8:37 as a key example of corruption in modern Bibles, but that's only scratching the surface. The identity of Jesus Christ has been completely stripped and tainted in the Alexandrian texts since the time of Origen. This first part of the lesson will serve to pull back the curtain of just how far the deception goes.
We studied a lot of the mindset and heartbeat behind the practicalities of making disciples, now let's hear from some of your leaders on their personal experiences being discipled as well as discipling others. Andy and Jayme's stories are a clear indication of how one-on-one discipleship can and will completely change your life no matter your background.
You must look at history through the God's eyes. It's His-story. That's why understanding the events leading up to the King James Bible (last week) is just as important as the events surrounding the translation itself (this week). There are some good practical takeaways in this one as well as some shocking events of history afterwards.
We studied a lot of the mindset and heartbeat behind the practicalities of making disciples, now let's hear from some of your leaders on their personal experiences being discipled as well as discipling others. Rick and Megan's stories not only serve as inspiration but also a clear warning of what could happen if discipleship dies with your generation.
Before we embark on the events surrounding the 8th English translation, we need to look closer at some shocking events of history that Satan has used to try to thwart the publishing of The Monarch of Books.
If you don't plan to succeed, by default you plan to fail. You must have a strategy when it comes to one-on-one discipleship. These 12 points stressed are of utmost importance that is lacking in successfully fruitful discipleship legacies.
Just as essential to understanding Manuscript history is the importance of knowing the history of the English language and subsequent Bible translations that came from Antioch, Syria. Is the King James Bible really written in "Old English"? Tune in to find out the truth.
So often, once we finish one-on-one discipleship we wait to be assigned a disciple. That was never the plan. We are called to MAKE disciples. God has clearly outlined clear ways for us to practically pursue after the sheep that have no shepherds.
Click here for PowerPoint slides, charts, & study sheets because today is HEAVY! Grab a coffee, feel free to pause at the moments when you need to as we take a deep dive into History. These are the facts and they are undisputed.
After covering the philosophy behind one-on-one discipleship the last three weeks, it's now time to dive into the practical aspect by utilizing the tool: Student Journey. After having the students pair off to role-play the discipler (teacher) and the disciple (learner) one thing became clear: anyone can do this! This includes you!
Jeremiah 36 is the most important chapter concerning inspiration & preservation of scripture. Through it, we become illuminated as God reveals to us the way in which he goes about preserving his holy words. The truth found in this passage deserves to be propagated to the ends of the earth.
It is highly encouraged you download the study sheet here before listening to this lesson. This message provides a good self-evaluation no matter where you are in your journey as a disciple of Christ. There are four goals one-on-one discipleship establishes you in: how are you doing with them?
It has always been God's nature to reveal truth, never to hide it. This message will focus on the types of revelation as well as the "diverse manners" and "sundry times" that God has revealed that truth (Heb. 1:1-3). How it all ends is crucial to our understanding of a single & consistent Final Authority.
"The Reed beside the Staff" is an old Spartan proverb that beautifully illustrates the value of One-on-One Discipleship. If you're new: is this what you're missing? If you've been discipled: do you truly value discipleship for the treasure that it is?
Many churches say the Bible is their Final Authority, but what do they really mean by that? As we kick off our study on the King James Bible, we'll look at what they say "behind the scenes" & what the true concept of "final authority" means according to the Bible.
No doubt, if you're reading this you more than likely know WHAT we're all about here. What may not be so apparent, or what may have become lost in our mindset from time to time is WHY we do what we do. This series not only serves as an intro to all of our new additions in the class but a refresher course to our core members. Don't let these truths slip (Heb. 2:1)!
Our blood has been tainted since Adam & Eve ate of that fruit (spoiler alert - it wasn't an apple). Ever since then, the Bible has been a book of blood. In his infinite wisdom, God decided to rectify the situation with the only solution possible: the shedding of blood ALONE. Tune in to find out how and why it is so utterly crucial nothing is added to the blood atonement
When it comes to dealing with our flesh, violence of action is a necessity. On the heels of Winter Camp, this message once again goes back to the Old Testament as our picture book to illustrate the practical ways that we kill our giants by faith.
We close out Winter Camp with looking at a group of common warriors in the Bible who made themselves fools for God, and as a result God was able to do impossible things through them. What are you prepared to do for your King, watchmen?
This isn't your typical David vs. Goliath story. Here we see the fight hit home in our own lives as we need to decide if we're going to let our faith be as tall as the giants we face.
In what was a riveting and heartfelt message, the Sr High was presented with a firsthand account of the reality of the spiritual war that lies before them. If you listen with ears to hear, you will be too.
We kick off our Sunday School hour with the first message of Winter Camp and our theme "Spiritual Warfare: My Personal Battle". Tune in as we see that a proper mindset is the key to determining the outcome of any and every battle.
Our final message leading into Winter Camp sees us looking at two Old Testament kings to help illustrate how we are to be as New Testament kings (Rev. 1:5-6; 5:9-10). If last week's lesson on priests was to evaluate our closeness with God, this lesson should cause us to evaluate what kind of leaders we are in this day and age.
Today, we close out our series on Spiritual Gifts by looking at the gifts in their proper context where they appear in Scripture. This message serves as a recap as well as a final challenge to get your hands into the work and utilize your gift(s) for the edifying of the body, for the work of the ministry, and for the perfection of the saints (Eph. 4:12).
This two part series will serve as both a springboard into winter camp as well as an introspective look at our service the last six months. As we are called New Testament kings & priests by our Lord (Rev. 1:5-6; 5:8-10), we need to ask ourselves: "are we living up to the standard of those titles"?
Listen to the first 11 minutes of this message before deciding "this gift isn't for you" and skipping it altogether. God has used men and women to forever alter the course of history because they embraced their gift of singleness as God empowered them.
We close out James with the need of every man: his soul to be saved and his sins covered. Disciples who are growing in their walk will be continuously focused on this as they have fervent charity to cover a multitude of sins (1 Pet. 4:8).
When thinking of a gift that can be used to minister to the body of Christ, the most obvious one to have the most effective impact is the one that people probably consider the least. This lesson on mercy is a very practical and sobering gut-check for us all to be compassionate towards one another within the body.
Do you know what manner of person God is seeking for? Do you know what it means to agonize in prayer? Tune in to hear some examples from scripture, and ask yourself whether you're willing to be one of the few who have stood before the Lord.
This week's lesson on "ruling" is a great compliment to last week's gift of "governments". If "governments" is concerning the behind the scenes administration of leadership, then "ruling" is the carrying out, or execution of the plan. Some people are built to be up-front leaders. Are you one of them?
Last week's lesson on persecution leads perfectly into this week's message on being steadfast and patient during afflictions. Romans 5:3 says "And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience". Nowhere can we glorify God more during trials than when we suffer patiently. We are to have this attitude until the Lord comes back!
Last week's recording on "giving" was lost, but you can download that study sheet along with this week's here. The gift of governments is often lumped together with the gift of ruling. Today we uncover why they're distinct as well as looking at some interesting examples for those who possessed this gift in scripture.
Not for the faint of heart...James 5:1-6 shows us the bitter end to those who make their kingdom and wealth upon this earth as well as the defining characteristic of what it means to be godly. If you want to be like Christ, prepare to suffer affliction (2 Tim. 3:11-12; Heb. 11:25).
We thought we were done with James 4, but James 4 wasn't done with us. This message serves not only as a recap of our Discipleship trip to Gulfport, MS but also a passionate charge of where we're going next as a youth ministry. Like in target practice, if you want a clear sight picture of your target, you need to first align your sights prior to aiming.
Want to know what it means to be a "gap filler"? This spiritual gift is all about that. It is the epitome of what it means to have a servant's heart like Joshua, Aaron, and Onesiphorus. While this may seem like a similar gift to "helps", we'll see the primary difference between the two in today's lesson.
Today we begin our last sub-series of the Spiritual Gifts known as the "Service Gifts". Helps are usually done behind the scene and with very little recognition, but they are just as important. Much of what makes a church function properly is due to this all-important gift.
One might think they know the definition of the gift of exhortation. While they wouldn't be wrong, a simple walkthrough of the verses containing it might just reveal a surprising element that you normally wouldn't associate with exhorting your fellow brother or sister.
Be an example and mature in your walk. How do we do this? In word, conversation, charity, spirit, faith, and purity.
Continuing our sub-series on "Speaking" gifts is that of shepherding a flock, or the gift of pastoring. This is not only a calling, but a gift given from God to build up the local body of believers. Here we dive a little deeper as to what the Bible says about this role along with the challenge for you to prayerfully consider if God has gifted you with a shepherd's heart.
Tune in as we look at three different Old Testament characters and how their lives and character qualities match up with James 4. Through it, we will see demonstrated the greatest character quality a disciple can model.
This gift, to some degree, is given to us all at salvation due to the Great Commission to make disciples (Mt. 28:19-20). However, some are supernaturally gifted to be able to speak publicly like Moses (Ex. 4:10-11). Like an evangelist, the best way to determine if you have this gift is to practice doing it.
The Middle of James' letter centers around the tongue and how deadly of a weapon it can be. Like it or not, when our tongues are "set on fire of hell" we have more in common with the demonic horse locusts of Revelation 9:13-19. If you want to mature in your walk, we need to learn how to control the tongue.
Today's doubleheader picks up where Rick left off with spiritual discernment before seeing Andy step up to the plate to teach on the gift of evangelism. While we've all been given the same Spirit and should strive for all of these, there are diversities with these gifts (1 Cor. 12:4). Do you have one of these more than the other?
James 2:14-26 presents a passage that has been twisted out of context since James wrote it around 37-40 AD. Tonight we dive in and rightly divide the word of truth to uncover the truth while seeing the devotional application for us today has more to do with service than it does salvation.
This gift is certainly one of the more dangerous gifts a believer can have. This fact can also make it one of the most alluring gifts to covet after. One must be on guard with this gift and make sure that they are using it to build up the body of Christ, and not tear her down.
Tonight is a good reminder of just how much God cares about people. Because of that, we need to be very cautious as to how we treat each other. You don't want to be the one who messes with Jesus' bride or be a stumbling block keeping someone from knowing the Lord.
Today we conclude our section on the "Revealing Gifts", or gifts that are used to reveal truth to others. While we all know that faith is essential for our salvation, God has gifted some of us to exuberate faith in our daily walks more than others. Do you sometimes take risks that defy human logic as you stand up for your God? Then this gift might be yours!
If each of us looked at our daily "screen time", we'd find a good indication of what saturates us. Does the word of God get as much time? If not, you might want to re-evaluate if you're maturing in your walk.
Many of us may be knowledgeable in the Word of God; some may even be "know-it-alls", but is it your gift? Tune in to find out as well as how to use it rightly!
In the 12 hours since this was taught, we've already had multiple students say this hit them right where they're at. Surely they're not alone! What comes out of you when you're squeezed and put to the test? Do you count it all joy?
Today we look at not only the first gift in our series, but the first in the "revealing gifts" subcategory. Are you gifted with words of wisdom? What's the difference between knowledge and wisdom? How do you apply this to your life if you're gifted with it?
Before we dive into the Marks of a Maturing Disciple, we have to dig into the historical context of who actually wrote this book and why. This isn't your basic book overview. As we'll see by the end, the background of this book can have tremendous practical applications to your life right now.
Now that we know who we are, we need to know what God thinks about us according to his Word. We also need to understand that the moment of our salvation gifted us with a lot more than just eternal life and forgiveness of sins. We also do a brief doctrinal dive into certain spiritual gifts that are no longer in operation today.
We kick off our two-part introduction to Spiritual Gifts with a learning style survey. How well do you actually know yourself? If you'd like to partake with us, pause the Podcast at the 7:32 mark and then run over to our Wordpress to download the survey!
This passage almost wasn't covered, but it's the verse from which all the other "ONE THING's" flow out of. If we keep our eyes upon THIS principle, we will have no problem achieving the others. If someone's final words were telling you not to not be ignorant of ONE THING, you'd do well to perk up your listening.
https://fbcjsolidyouth.wordpress.com/2023/08/28/be-not-ignorant-of-this-one-thing/
As school is starting back up and students are following the Lord in believer's baptism, I can think of no better passage than Philippians 3:13-14 to set our focus upon. Study Sheet found here: https://fbcjsolidyouth.wordpress.com/2023/08/21/one-thing-i-do/
This lesson is the second half of "seeking his presence" that we began last week with prayer. We get a great example as to what applying Scripture actually looks like, as well as an alarming warning what a hearer only of the Word looks like.
This one is almost assured to hit closer to home no matter where you're at. As we continue to strip away the complexities we've made our walk with God to be, today we're going to focus on what is quite perhaps the most important element of our relationship. It probably is NOT what you're thinking it is...
The Spirit of God moved many of us at camp this year to hone our attention to ONE THING to commit to amidst many. God has used that phrase several times in his word for us to maintain a single focus amidst the pull of the enemy to convolute the simplicity that is found in Christ (2 Cor. 11:3).
Today we give the ins and outs of everything our ministry is about to our incoming Freshmen, while also serving as a reminder of our purpose to everyone else of these principles "though ye know them" (2 Peter 1:12).
WEDNESDAY PM: https://fbcjsolidyouth.wordpress.com/2023/06/29/undefiled-summer-camp-win-the-medal-of-honor-pastor-scott-brown/
If you really want to be a part of the few and sanctified, there are biblical requirements. Make no mistake about it: you can be following through on the first three points, but not following through with the final point may just be what keeps you from being part of God's Undefiled Remnant.
TUESDAY PM: https://fbcjsolidyouth.wordpress.com/2023/06/28/undefiled-summer-camp-how-to-be-a-part-of-gods-vip-club-pastor-scott-brown/
Tonight we look at the most Undefiled group that will ever step foot on this planet outside of Jesus Christ: the 144,000 Witnesses. What can we glean from these men to help us remain pure and clean in this world?
TUESDAY AM: https://fbcjsolidyouth.wordpress.com/2023/06/27/undefiled-summer-camp-5-signs-youre-dating-the-wrong-person-pastor-scott-brown/
As the world is seeking to corrupt us and make us defiled, God has given us red flags from his word to look for when choosing a potential mate.
MONDAY PM: https://fbcjsolidyouth.wordpress.com/2023/06/27/undefiled-summer-camp-are-you-a-limited-edition-christian-pastor-scott-brown/
The more scarce an item is, the more value it has. Are you living pure and undefiled, or are you selling yourself cheap? What type of a believer are you: 1) Saved, 2) Disciple, or 3) Christian?
MONDAY AM SESSION: https://fbcjsolidyouth.wordpress.com/2023/06/27/undefiled-summer-camp-3-qualities-you-need-before-marriage-pastor-scott-brown/
There’s no area that Satan wants us to be defiled in more than in our relationships. If we’re going to stay clean in this crooked and perverse world, we must remember we don’t attract what we want, we attract what we are.
If last week pertained to the areas of our life that are not bringing glory to God, this week is all about the areas that are. What does God expect of fruitful branches? The answer is found in the same verse as last week (John 15:2). The question now presents itself: why prune (purge) fruitful branches?
Dead, Damaged, or Diseased...Today we take a gut-punch look at the state of the vineyard that we all live in. This one hits closer to home for all of us, no matter how the last 50 weeks of your life have gone. Do not miss this time of introspection as we evaluate which areas of our life are not bringing forth fruit.
Today we conclude Biblical Relationships with a panel of married guests: Adam & Hannah Lallathin, Jaret & Sophia Martin, and John-Mark & Miranda Ziegler. They'll share their stories of how they met, knew that each other was the one for them, when it was right to date/be married, conflict resolution skills, and how they keep that spark and "young love" alive.
Today kicked off the first half of our conclusion to the Biblical Relationships study as we heard the testimony of a young married couple who started dating in high school. Tune in to listen to their heart and heed the counsel given!
(fbcjsolidyouth.wordpress.com for PowerPoint slides - You're gonna need 'em!). Tonight we close out our Q&A series by reviewing the historical application of the Tower of Babel before looking at the Doctrinal and Devotional. We then conclude by asking "what are we supposed to do with all of these answers?". Make sure you have ears to hear on this one!
We're coming to a close in our study on biblical relationships, and while we won't spend much time on this, the topic of marriage provides us with a template to work towards. As you'll soon see, the responsibilities of a husband and wife can be applied to your daily walk with the Lord regardless of where you stand in the dating realm.
PowerPoint slides also available at fbcjsolidyouth.wordpress.com The real question asked by one of our students pertaining to this topic will be kept a "Mystery" (pun intended, IYKYK) until the end of the lesson. Tonight we dive into the governmental, religious, and spiritual nature of the Tower from a historical application as we seek to understand it's builder, his religion, and how it affected the entire world.
We've focused these last two weeks on what NOT to do in a relationship, now it's time to take a look at some practical guidelines that will help both parties grow while dating.
NOTE: THE AUDIO CUTS OUT THROUGH THIS MESSAGE. ALL MESSAGES AFTER THIS HAVE BEEN CORRECTED. Did (do??) these creatures exist? Were there lost civilizations? You may know that the apostolic sign gifts are not for today, but would you be able to walk somebody through the Bible and show them the reason why?
Not only do you need to keep yourself pure physically, but emotions out of control can sometimes be just as deadly to a relationship. This message will cover some practical steps from the Word of God to help ensure our emotions don't get the better of us or our dating relationship.
For the first time ever, we're making our PowerPoint presentations available on the same website as our study sheets. You can find both here within an hour after the podcast is posted: fbcjsolidyouth.wordpress.com
While you may think you have the answers to some, you might be surprised to find what the Bible really has to say about these subjects. The Holy Spirit once again has threaded all three of these questions together. We also finish last week's discussion on the Great Pyramid.
Mankind has always had a sex problem all throughout the Bible. We can't think that we're immune in the most perilous time in history (2 Timothy 3:1). If you're convinced you're ready to date, you better make sure that your members are mortified (Colossians 3:5).
We conclude the character qualities of a person you should date from our study in Genesis 24. The key emphasis being on the word "character". We'll see from the Bible that this all important virtue must take precedence over everything else when it comes to dating.
Do we know what the rivers flowing out of Eden are and is there any significance to it? Was there one big supercontinent at one point, and if so, did Noah's flood cause the split? Never would I think that these questions would generate such fun and enthusiastic dialogue among the group.
After last week's message on knowing who not to date (regarding both the lost AND saved), we're now looking at what the Bible has to say as it pertains who to date. We'll be diving straight into Genesis 24 for our foundation as we cover two pivotal points out of four.
This simple yet pivotal outline is mission-critical. As unmarried believers, we must come to realize that the Bible is NOT silent on what type of person we should and shouldn't date. This goes for both the lost world AS WELL AS the saved...
Tonight's questions also have a common thread: choices. We also have a fun little bonus question to kick things off!
Not only have you been waiting upon the Lord to date, but you've also been intentional with your waiting (as you seek to tend to Christ's needs and wants in your relationship to him). So, how do you know when you're ready to start dating?
Never in a thousand years would I think that these two questions would be related. It takes a bit to build the bridge, but in so doing we give a clear gospel presentation.
We get to the portion of our study where we begin discussing dating relationships. I can't think of a better place to start. This goes beyond dating, and contrary to how it sounds, it goes beyond "waiting for Mr./Mrs. Right".
So far in our study, we've discussed relationships with parents, siblings, and friends (lost and saved). Prior to moving on to discuss dating relationships, we need to give space to discuss a crucial element of handling all relationships: conflict resolution.
After coming off some heavy doctrinal topics, we're going to look at a few devotional points in this message. While you may not see it by looking at the title (I sure didn't), God ended up linking these two topics in a very interesting way through the course of the message.
Last week we covered the three types of godly friends you want to surround yourself with. This week is all about navigating friendships with the lost. How do you remain in the world and not of it (Jn. 17:13-20)?
Why did God tell Adam and Eve to "REplenish" the earth in Genesis 1:28? Does this have to do with dinosaurs? Also, why does every single Bible version with the exception of the King James say "heavenS" rather than "heaven" in Genesis 1:1?
This week and next we'll be taking a look at friendships. This week will have a focus on Biblical friends. There are three types of friends that everyone should have: what are they and what do those relationships look like?
We close out our look into devils & spirits by seeing what the Bible has to say about their effect in this world - both to Christians and non-believers alike. Be prepared to change what you've previously been taught or personally believed by the end of this one.
Something not often thought about: your relationship with your siblings plays an important role in your relationship with whomever you date in the future. Conflict resolution & comradery all have their roots in this relationship. Tune in to see more!
The question from our youth: "Where do spirits/devils come from and how can they affect the actual physical world". Be prayed-up, grab your Bible, and get ready to DIVE DEEP on this one!
A first of its kind for SOLID...never before have we taken a look at the relationship between parents and students in the Biblical Relationships class. As you'll soon see, the points discussed in this lesson not only flow directly out of our relationship with Christ, but they play a HUGE role in all future relationships you have when searching for a spouse.
What kingdoms are represented in the four beasts historically AS WELL AS doctrinally? We also take a look as to WHO the antichrist really is. These questions are a good time to apply the Attitude Factor of Bible Study: "be prepared to change what you've been taught when it goes contrary to the Word of God". You might find the answers go against what you've grown up believing...
We're heading to Revelation 4 in what may be the most unusual start to a Biblical Relationships class ever. In order to understand how we're to manage all manner of relationships biblically, we need to catch a vision of the end of the most important relationship we'll ever have: the moment when our faith is made sight.
In the first message of our new series we cover what the significance was behind the three hours of darkness during Christ's crucifixion (and why it's significant for the future); is the Bible limited to only Leviticus 18 and Romans 1 as it pertains to homosexuality; and are Cherubim angels? The answers to all may not be what you think!
As a follow up to session 4 from Winter Camp, Rick takes us through practical steps that hit a bit closer to home for our youth to achieve "first chair" status.
What's next for SOLID in 2023? Before we can nail down the specifics of what we're doing, it's vital to take a look at why we do what we do.
In a follow up to winter camp, we take a look at the four different soils of a man's heart to examine where the seed of God's word fell from this past weekend. Did it already fall by wayside and get plucked away or have you done something with what you've heard?
We conclude winter camp with a sobering reality of what generational Christianity looks like. Unfortunately more often than not, it appears as though what's passed down through the generations isn't faithfulness, but sin. Which chair do you find yourself in? What will you do about it?
Session 3 of 4 takes us to the cross where we see our sin before a holy and righteous God. We're all challenged to "examine ourselves whether we be in the faith", "unless ye have believed in vain" (2 Cor. 13:5; 1 Cor. 15:2)
Our second of four sessions from "Firm Foundations" takes another practical approach to defending the Bible on which we stand. Though you may not be personally affected by the teaching of evolution, you're surrounded by people who are. What will you do with what you've heard? '
We kicked off our annual winter camp during our Sunday School hour with our theme: "Firm Foundations". We will take a look at the basic fundamentals of our faith and the tools needed to make us more effective witnesses in our field. This message reinforces our confidence and assurance in the resurrected Savior!
We conclude our study in the book of Romans looking at that which meant most to Paul; the focal point of his ministry; the heartbeat behind why he labored so exhaustively. Everything we covered doctrinally has built to this point as Paul nails it home in these final two chapters. Tune in to see what that "end zone" actually is.
Our final lesson in our series on How to Study the Bible covers one of the final verses Christ gave to all of the disciples in their final lesson of discipleship (John 16:12). Tune in to see how it applies to Bible study!
Chapter 14 is often referred to as the chapter dealing with "Preferences vs. Principles". While not quoted from often, this chapter contains all important life lessons that if not carefully applied, can kill any youth ministry or church.
Paul continues his practical guide of living righteously in chapter 13 by talking about our relationship to worldly leaders and our relationship to our lost neighbors. It's a stirring reminder that we all owe a debt of giving the gospel out to others (Rom. 1:14-16), and that those who preach the gospel should live the gospel (1 Cor. 9:14; Phil. 1:27).
Paul enters the fourth quarter of Romans by finally centering on the most practical parts of the book. Now that we're in Christ and our glorification secured (chapters 6-8), how ought we to live our lives? He kicks things off in this chapter by reminding us that as we have received Christ Jesus, so ought we to walk therein (Col. 2:7): WE'RE DEAD, HE LIVES THROUGH US!
Sometimes studying your Bible requires you to be like a detective: you need to investigate things from multiple different angles until the pieces fit. Yet, there are other times where we tend to make things more convoluted when the answer is right in front of our face. Remember that God wrote the Bible to REVEAL truth, not hide it. These three factors will help with that simplicity.
In Daniel chapter 1, the world of a young man and his friends completely changed. In our everyday lives, the world is going to try to change us, but how should we respond? Will we let the world change us, or will we change the world for Christ?
The following key of Bible study may just be the most important factor of them all. If your heart isn't willing to change based upon what the Word of God says, how can we possibly think he's going to continue to give us more truth? Today we see an example through King Josiah and how he responded during his crisis of belief should be an example to us all.
Chapter 11 is perhaps the clearest example to refute what is the most common false doctrine plaguing churches: Replacement Theology. God is not permanently done with the nation of Israel. Tonight will clear all of that up!
The following key of Bible study may just be the most important factor of them all. If your heart isn't willing to change based upon what the Word of God says, how can we possibly think he's going to continue to give us more truth?
If chapter 9 is about Israel's Past Election (service to God), chapter 10 is about Israel's Present Rejection. Since they have rejected Jesus Christ as their Messiah, he has rejected them from being his chosen vessel of service (John 9:39-41; 12:35-39). Their fall is our example that we too ought to take heed lest we fall (1 Cor. 10:6, 11-12).
What was once a no-brainer to Philadelphian Period Christians (1500-1900 AD) has now become a necessity to talk about in the church. Most of Christianity takes an allegorical approach to Bible Study where they think everything is metaphorical. Today we'll see the need to take the Bible literally as God seeks to reveal truth, not hide it.
This is a fun one! Today we see how the first time God uses a word helps to establish a pattern of truth found throughout the rest of Scripture. You can also see similar patterns with the way that God uses numbers in the Bible.
The Holy Spirit leads Paul through a parenthesis period for the next three chapters in his doctrinal dissertation to talk about where Israel fits in to the church age today. This chapter is loaded with heavy doctrine that has been twisted by MANY churches and leaders today. We address those doctrinal errors before bringing it back to a practical warning for us all.
Today we go through tricky passages of Scripture that require you to implement more than one of the rules of Bible study in order to rightly divide the word of truth. For sure, you know of someone who has been taught a false doctrine because the following passages were twisted by "unlearned and unstable" men (2 Peter 3:16).
Are you groaning for the day when you exchange this vile body for one like unto his glorious body (Phil. 3:21; Rom. 8:23)? Are you earnestly striving in the race and your pursuit of God to be able to one day demonstrate just how worthy Jesus was to you on this earth (Rom. 8:19; Rev. 4:10-11)? You've been given all the promises of God to help your infirmities, so where is your focus?
Skeptics love to claim the Bible is chalk full of contradictions, yet they can never seem to produce one of them. Today, we take a look at a few of them and find that all "contradictions" can be easily resolved when you rightly divide with the Sword of the Spirit (Heb. 4:16; Eph. 6:17)
We're approaching halftime in our study of the book of Romans. Whereas some teams seek to run the clock out before the half, God instead chooses to run the ball to the endzone in chapter 8. What we're about to study is one of the most important chapters in all the Bible. This chapter details our birthrights as Christians now that we are in Christ.
God speaks through his creation (Ps. 19:1; Rom. 1:20). What does creation declare? Today's lesson may just help give light to those passages of scripture that you easily skip over.
Now that you're saved (Romans 4-5), you're dead to sin and are no longer under its eternal power (Romans 6); but practically speaking you're still in this body that wants to be back in control to sin. What's the solution to the daily warfare between your body and your spirit? Tune in to find out.
The Bible is and always has been a self-defining book. Today, we take a look at a few tough passages to see how this rule unlocks deeper truths found within God's Word. There was even an impromptu guest speaker half-way through to help illustrate how easy it is when we're willing to put forth the work (2 Tim. 2:15)!
You've been justified by faith in his shed blood, and Jesus Christ's righteousness has been imputed onto your account. Now what? This next step might be the most important in your understanding of what Jesus Christ expects of you.
Every. Word. Matters. Every single word is pure (Prov. 30:5). Did I mention that we need to take heed to every single word? While it may seem like a no brainer, you'll see just how predominant this rule of Bible study is violated within the opening minutes of today's lesson.
In spite of our many offenses, Christ bestowed the free gift to his enemies. Where sin runs deep, his grace is MUCH MORE. Also, tune in to see how the Tabernacle fits into your salvation.
In order to study the Bible, one must know and recognize that there are three basic applications of all scripture, and these three must work together in order to unlock the truths contained therein.
Reconciliation and Imputation...get out your calculators and clipboards because tonight, we're taking personal inventory to make sure the account books all match up!
A rule so vital to studying the Bible that the verse used to describe it is tied the theme verse for How to Study the Bible (2 Tim. 2:15). If you want to put forth the work and not be ashamed, you must understand the way in which God has worked all throughout time!
If the Gentiles are all under sin (ch. 1), and the Jews are all under sin (ch. 2), by default the whole world is under sin. That's where Paul picks up in his doctrinal dissertation of chapter 3. These have been some dreary chapters, but we finally get to some light by chapter's end: the justification & redemption of man by faith in the shed blood of Christ!
All of the Bible is FOR you, but not all of the Bible is written TO you. Don't take that which doesn't belong to you lest you WRONGLY divide the word of truth (1 Cor. 10:32).
If Chapter 1 is of the unrighteousness that man commits when he does not like to retain God in his knowledge, Chapter 2 is all about the self-righteousness that men are trusting in to save them on Judgment Day. As we'll soon see, God is not a respecter of persons as BOTH have violated God's law. What hope is there for them?
Do you like it when others take your words out of context? Yeah, neither does God; and yet he states that "Every day they wrest my words..." (Ps. 56:5). Listen for the key that unlocks a vast majority of tough passages found within the Bible.
Romans is the driving force of the New Testament revealing the righteousness of God. Paul starts things off with a bang in chapter 1, and things get pretty hot in the youth room! If you want to know how to be right with God, this is a great place to start!
In an effort to "add to our faith...knowledge" (2 Pet. 1:5), we're going to go through the 15 Rules of Bible Study. However, before we can dive in, we need to evaluate our passion and pursuit for God and his words.
Part 4 of 4. This mini-series serves as a bridge between coming off a missions trip and gearing back up for school. We can't lose sight of what matters the most to God: people. Join us as we take a look at various people within the early church and see where you fit in today.
Tonight, we conclude our two-part look into the Book of Philemon and how to manage conflicts among each other. However, is that the only reason God would put this book in the Bible, or is there more than meets the eye?
Part 3 of 4. This mini-series serves as a bridge between coming off a missions trip and gearing back up for school. We can't lose sight of what matters the most to God: people. Join us as we take a look at various people within the early church and see where you fit in today.
For the next two Wednesday's, we're going to take a look at the Book of Philemon and the interesting situation our three main characters find themselves in. We can't be a peculiar people if we don't know how to resolve conflicts when they arise amongst us.
Part 2 of 4. This mini-series serves as a bridge between coming off a missions trip and gearing back up for school. We can't lose sight of what matters the most to God: people. Join us as we take a look at various people within the early church and see where you fit in today.
Part 1 of 4. This mini-series serves as a bridge between coming off a missions trip and gearing back up for school. We can't lose sight of what matters the most to God: people. Join us as we take a look at various people within the early church and see where you fit in today.
Part 2 of 2. These lessons are to help us with prayer, its definition, & our heart attitude about it. If you want to know what, how, and when we can or should pray, tune in!
Part 1 of 2. These lessons are to help us with prayer, its definition, & our heart attitude about it. If you want to know what, how, and when we can or should pray, tune in!
Today, Andy teaches on commitment and how we honor God through being faithful to what we've committed unto him. Honoring serves as an act of reverence; and we must keep in remembrance what we've committed unto the Lord against that day (2 Tim. 1:12).
As you'll soon tell, this message serves more as a post-camp follow-up lesson than it does an add-on to our Revelation series. Here we look at two interesting parts of the Seals & Trumpets and see how these doctrinally deep points have a very devotional application to our lives today.
Tonight we conclude our series in the Revelation by taking a glimpse into the Great White Throne Judgment & New Jerusalem. While believers will NOT see that judgment, your inheritance in New Jerusalem could be affected based upon how you live NOW. May our response to the Revelation of Jesus Christ be the same as John's: "Even so, come Lord Jesus"!
Today, we conclude our series on vision. We've looked at a lot over the past 16 weeks from these attributes of 2 Peter 1. We end with 1 Corinthians 13 where we find that if we fail here - in spite of diligently adding the other 6 character qualities - we are nothing (1 Cor. 13:1-3).
Do you groan along with all of creation for the restitution of all things (Rom. 8:23; Acts 3:20-21)? Do you rejoice to see the vengeance of God washing his feet with the blood of the wicked (Ps. 58:10)? These were questions that not even I was ready for God to ask, and it changed the course of the entire message. Let the Word have his way with you as you listen with ears to hear.
Webster's defines charity as "Candor; liberality in judging of men and their actions; a disposition which inclines men to think and judge favorably, and to put the best construction on words and actions which the case will admit." The best form of this kind of charity is demonstrate it to the uncharitable; to a lost world perishing all around us. What will you do?
Holy Smokes (no pun intended)! Tonight gets intense...but not as intense as it's going to be on "the day of his great wrath" (Rev. 6:17). Listen to find out why Revelation goes through the Tribulation four times and why we need to get busy "warning every man" to be ready so that THAT DAY doesn't comes as a thief in the night (Col. 1:28).
A few Wednesdays ago, we took a look at the history behind the Philadelphian Church period. Today we go back to Philly to see how we can take what God has to say about that church (Rev. 3:7-13) and apply it practically today as we seek to show brotherly kindness and serve each other within SOLID.
Is the rider on the White Horse in Revelation 6:1-2 Christ? Are signs and wonders for today? Are governments and religions becoming more globalized a part of God's plan? Or are all the above linked directly to the antichrist seeing as how he's always been the great counterfeiter of Jesus (Gen. 3:4-6)? Let's turn to the Word of God for the answers!
Webster's defines kindness as "that temper or disposition which delights in contributing to the happiness of others...in gratifying their wishes, supplying their wants, or alleviating their distresses"; and the Holy Spirit says this should all be done as though the other person is our own flesh and blood. Perhaps this message should be called "the impossible, part 3". Make no mistake - if we fail here, we fail to finish well (2 Pet. 1:7b; Jn. 17:21).
Daniel's 70th week of prophecy is quite possibly the most confusing doctrine in all the Bible. It is, however, utterly crucial to our understanding as it assists in revealing the antichrist's plan as well as God's dealing with Israel during the Tribulation period. Tonight, we tackle what the Bible describes as the most horrendous time in all of human history and "the man of sin" running the show - the 70th week.
"For bodily exercise profiteth little but godlinessis profitable unto all things" (1 Tim. 4:8). As sheep, we can often grow faint and weary in well-doing. If you want to see gains in your personal walk with Christ, have him anoint thine eyes to see things from his perspective (Mt. 9:36)
The rapture is perhaps one of the most misconstrued doctrines in all the Bible. In order to properly discern what time it is (and consequently which rapture happens at what time), we need to rightly divide the word of truth (2 Tim. 2:15).
The next character trait is a quality that is so close to God’s heart that it has been attacked since before the foundation of the world (Isa. 14:12-14; Gen. 1:26-27; Gen. 3:1-5).It has always been the plan of God to have a people that would be conformed to his image; to be in his likeness. And God has promised to finish what he starts (Phil. 1:6; Heb. 12:2).
Revelation 3:14-22- The Laodicean Church Period (1900AD - Present).
Tonight, we close out Church History as well as the first part of our study of Revelation. Can we live as Philadelphians in Laodicea? A resounding "YES"!!! But it'll cost you...
Today we take a look at how to practically handle trials patiently from someone in scripture who is seen as an authority on the matter. We also take a look at how the disciples react when faced with a stormy trial (spoiler alert: they go nowhere fast).
Revelation 3:14-22- The Laodicean Church Period (1900AD - Present).
Everyone loves a good underdog tale...a Cinderella story that's seemingly too good to be true. Has there ever been a greater underdog than the Church? By all accounts, she shouldn't have made it past the third century. After the great come-from-behind victory she had during Philadelphia, let's see how the story of the church ends prior to the rapture (Revelation 4:1)
2 Peter 1 takes a turn in qualities we are to "add to our faith". Whereas virtue, knowledge, and temperance are all actions we proactively take, this next one must be reactive. Tune in for "the impossible" (Matthew 19:26)
Revelation 3:7-13 - The Philadelphia Church Period (1500AD - 1900AD).
Let there be light...the Bible is back in the hands of the common man (Ps. 119:130; Mk. 12:37)! We come to another watershed moment in church history where God took the gospel to the ends of the earth through the greatest missionary movement of all time. What will do? Will you be a pillar in the temple of your God (Rev. 3:12)?
Pornography, social drinking, and emotionalism: if there was ever a time for the church to possess temperance, it's now! Tune in for some eyesalve to the Laodicean Bubonic Plague
Revelation 3:1-6 - The Sardis Church Period (1000AD - 1500AD).
We now enter the Midnight of the Dark Ages, where the Bible has been out of the hands of the common man for half a millennium. How then does God still shed his light during these times? It starts with a candle...
Soldiers in the Lord's Army can get worn out in the daily battle. That's when our most common foe strikes! Thankfully, God gave us the perfect defense to hold everything together: Temperance! So, add it to your faith so you don't give in to your emotions and carnal temptations!
Revelation 2:18-29 - The Thyatira Church Period (500AD - 1000AD).
"Advance!" This has become the attack strategy of the enemy now that the church compromised with the world during Pergamos. Even so, there is still a faithful remnant of God's people who would not bow the knee. Hear how God supernaturally "put none other burden" upon them during the Black Death!
Last week, we looked at the heartbeat behind practical Bible study. This week, we've transformed the youth room into a workshop to add to our faith knowledge that takes our walk with Christ deeper and gives us sight to see where He's leading us.
Revelation 2:12-17 - The Pergamos Church Period (325AD - 500AD).
Last week, we saw the Bride of Christ compromise with the world system. Tonight, we conclude our study in Pergamos where we'll learn why you never want to give Satan an inch along with some other key moments in world history taking place during this time frame.
A servant that does what's right (virtue) needs to grow deeper in their walk with God and add knowledge to their faith. Sometimes this is natural, but most of the time it takes work (2 Tim. 2:15). This week, we catch a vision of the need to take Bible reading to a deeper, more personal level as we look at the heartbeat behind practical Bible study.
Revelation 2:12-17 - The Pergamos Church Period (325AD - 500AD).
Tonight marks a watershed moment in Church History. He that hath ears let him hear how the church began to compromise with the world and the false religious system forming in Rome.
Part 2 of 2: If we want to have vision to see where God is leading, then we need to grow in our faith (2 Peter 1:5, 9). The first thing we're told to add is "virtue". Last week, we looked at how God has defined the word. This week we conclude with a practical application of how to add it to our faith.
Revelation 2:8-11 - The Smyrna Church Period (175/200AD - 325AD).
Think you're having a bad day?? Things can always be worse as we'll soon see from the testimonies of the faithful Bible believers of this time.
Part 1 of 2: If we want to have vision to see where God is leading, then we need to grow in our faith (2 Peter 1:5, 9). The first thing we're told to add is "virtue". The simple definition of the word is to do what is right, but before we check this attribute off the list, let's take a deeper dive into the Word to see how God has chosen to define it.
Revelation 2:1-7 - The Ephesus Church Period (90 AD-175/200 AD).
How could a "fully purposed" church leave its first love? Tune in for a stark warning that has application to us today!
Our vision this year as a church is “Occupy till I Come” (Lk. 19:13). That means we as a collective body are to possess what God has given us, but what does that look like for our Sr. High? Before we can answer this, we need to know what our personal vision is. Every now and then, you need to “anoint thine eyes” with eyesalve to see clearly where you are, and more importantly, where you are going (Ps. 119:105). The first few verses of Peter’s second epistle provide the ingredients for an excellent concoction of eyesalve.
In what is without a doubt the most ominous book in all of the Bible, many believe Revelation to also be the most confusing and cryptic as well. A proper understanding of the context helps dispel that notion as we simply set out to read, hear, and keep the words found therein as God promises to REVEAL truth and not conceal it (Rev. 1:3; 1 Thess. 2:13; Rev. 22:10).
Part 2 of 2 - Along with being the nation of Israel's hymn book, Psalms is also a collection of prayers. All throughout this book we are reminded to REST in God and to meditate on what he's telling us through those who went through similar situations as we do. Wherever you're at in your walk with God, whatever you may be struggling with, there's a psalm for that!
This is everything that we have been preparing for and everything we will continue to pursue as a church until the Lord calls us home. We were made for such a time as this. If we weren't, then we wouldn't be here. Let us be reminded of these truths together as we make final preparations because it is time to go!
Part 1 of 2 - "Si Vis Pacem Para Bellum!"...If you want peace, prepare for war! In the midst of transitions, it can be easy to doubt and waver with the choices we make. We crave certainty, rest, & peace with our decisions, but sometimes we must first "labor to enter into that rest" (Heb. 4:11).
Part 3 of 3 -- Names are extremely important... and the name of our Youth Ministry has lasted nearly 20 years for a reason! As we consider the name of our ministry along with the transitions we are in the midst of, let's move forward and shine our light faithfully.
Part 2 of 2 -- Names are extremely important... and the name of our Youth Ministry has lasted nearly 20 years for a reason! As we consider the name of our ministry along with the transitions we are in the midst of, let's move forward and shine our light faithfully.
Names are extremely important... and the name of our Youth Ministry has lasted nearly 20 years for a reason! As we consider the name of our ministry along with the transitions we are in the midst of, let's move forward and shine our light faithfully.
Loving the lost requires that you love the Lord with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength... and loving the Lord must be rooted in the truth of how much God loves you. "We love him, because he first loved us (1 Jn. 4:19)." Once all these things are in order we will be able to lead the lost to the Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.
This last part of this lesson dives into the truth of when you walk with the Lord you will receive more of his heart. We need to love God and have his heart if we are ever going to love the lost the proper way.
We must become proficient in giving the gospel. The only way to get better at it is to do it!
We apologize in advance that the audio for the lesson cut short! Evangelism methodologies are an important tool to reach others. Just like tools, no one tool is the go-to, magic recipe for every situation. This lesson discusses the good test and why it can be a great tool to use with the lost.
This is part 2 of the previous message... Loving God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength is so critical to our Christian walk! If we do not love God we will not serve him and glorify him as he deserves. It really is the key to our ability to evangelize properly.
Loving the Lord our God is the first and greatest commandment (Matt. 22:37-38), so it should be of no surprise that it will fuel our service for the Lord. When we forget to love the Lord our service will fizzle and fail over time. We end up serving out of duty rather than delight. We need reminded of this important truth.
Your Testimony is one of the most powerful tools to impact the lost and wayward... When we allow the Lord to use our story it reveals the reality of God and the truth of the Bible in a living way. Do not ever be afraid to tell your story!
If we participate in evangelism and miss the heart of God we will certainly burn out and quit. The gospel is the heart of God... to know the God is to know the gospel, and to know the gospel is to know God. We must really meditate on this truth if we are to be impactful ambassadors for Jesus Christ.
Your daily walk can enhance or detract from your ability to share the gospel with others. What we live out proves what we truly believe! We must consider this truth and guard our personal testimony.
We make a special announcement in this lesson and then go through our mission from the perspective of all that is going on currently at FBCJ.
After we explored God's call upon Gideon, Gideon confirming that call, God trimming down the army from 32,000 to 300, and then the execution of the God's specific battle plan, now we see Gideon continue the battle until it is finished and what happens thereafter. In the midst of warfare there are always spiritual warfare in the wings that the enemy of God uses to oppress God's people as they work out his plan for them. It can be very discouraging. We need to stay on guard and prepare ourselves and our disciples for the present and the future.
After God calls his man to deliver his people and confirms it twice, now we see Gideon get the people ready for battle... or rather, God getting the people ready for the battle. The Lord puts them in an impossible situation on purpose for a purpose!
In Judges 6 we are introduced to the situation happening in Israel. God's people are not walking with him, the Midianites are in control of the land, and the Jewish people are being severely oppressed and persecuted. Israel cries out to the Lord, and God calls Gideon to deliver them from the hand of their enemies. We live in a time very similar to the book of Judges where every man does that which is right in their own eyes (Judges 17:6). If we are to be the man/woman God desires us to be then we need to be willing to take a stand when no one else is willing to take a stand!
The last lesson in this series covers the ark, mercy seat, and the role of the High Priest. This message ties everything together and leaves us with some good principles to direct us to appreciate our blessed Saviour and glorify God the Father.
Learning to cleave unto the Lord is one of the most critical issues of the heart that many struggling Christians fail do to on a daily basis. Cleaving to the Lord, our Saviour, will help with every single aspect of our lives.
The last part of this series is a great one... a reminder that we are to redeem the time we are gifted to by God.
The last piece in the holy place before moving into the most holy place is the golden altar. This furnishing represents the Spirit of God and our prayers. Our prayer life must be fueled by the remembrance of the sacrifice that Christ made for us, personally. Remembering the gospel will change how we pray, down to the littlest detail. This is something we need to be exercised in to glorify the Lord.
Everything we do is based on some kind of internal motivation. What are your motives? Are they pure? Are they godly? We need to learn how to recognize our motives, let the Lord try our motives throught the Spirit and his Word, be honest with ourselves, and be willing to change (if needed) so we can truly glorify God.
The candlestick, made of one solid piece of pure gold, sits on the southside of the holy place to give light to the table and the altar of incense. The light from the candlestick is to never go out. In the Bible this candlestick clearly represents the Holy Ghost. The Spirit illuminates our time with the Lord through prayer and the scriptures. He gives light, life, and fruit that will glorify God.
It is the will of God for our lives that we be not conformed to this world. This world is not our home. We are strangers and pilgrims awaiting for the day we return home. Until that time comes, we need to be faithful ambassadors of our loving Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.
Moving from the brazen altar to the brazen altar, now we enter into the holy place. Devotionally, once we are covered by the blood of our substitute sacrifice and our hands and feet are washed by the water of the word, now we can enter into the holy place. The table of shewbread is an incredible illustration of Jesus Christ, the Bread of Life, and the Word of God. Listen in to hear more!
Another will of God for your life is to obey the God-ordained authorities. This is very important to understand because if you cannot properly obey earthly authorities there is no way you will be able to obey the Lord God. How do we do this God's way? Take a listen...
After the brazen altar is the brazen laver. When one is covered by the blood of their personal sacrifice (being born again through the gospel of Jesus Christ), the brazen laver (the word of God) needs to be used to wash their hands and feet in their service to God. We cannot be in service to the Lord with unwashed hands and feet.
Thankfulness is absolutely critical in our walk with the Lord. The moment we become unthankful we immediately stop walking with God. We have exalted self over our Creator and cannot give him the glory in our lives through our words and actions. More than anyone else, born again believers should be the most thankful people on the earth!
After being introduced to the general concept of the Tabernacle, we take a look at the first part - The Brazen Altar. This is the first place any Jew would start to interact with the presence of God. It is extremely important to understand this first before anything else.
God calls his people to be sanctified... set apart from this world unto God and His plans & purposes. We need to understand this Biblical truth now more than ever!
The tabernacle holds a key to understanding deeper spiritual truths for born again believers. We are the temple of the living God (2 Cor. 6:16) and we have this treasure of the Holy Spirit of God in an earthly vessel/tabernacle (2 Cor. 4:7; 2 Pt. 1:13-15). If we are to honor the Lord properly in our lives we must learn how to properly order and furnish our tabernacle/temple for the Lord.
There are 7 different "will of God" truths in the New Testament, and the 1st sets the foundation for all of them... to be repentant. This is critical for salvation and for daily faithfulness. Someone who is not repentant immediately prevents God from working in and through them, and the Lord is not glorified.
In the New Testament there are 7 specific things that are stated as God's will for your life. If we are willing to know these things and do them we will be fruitful and focused in the life God has given us. This series is very important!
This is a continuation from last week... The field and our perspective on the field(s) God has given us matters greatly! We are called to be faithful stewards (1 Cor. 4:1) and to bear much fruit (Jn. 15:8).
In the spiritual battle that we are in each day, it is very important that we know our enemy. He knows us! We should know him... his methods, tactics, and strategies. God reveals them to us in various ways throughout the scriptures.
As a disciple-making church and youth ministry, we often talk about the field... but sometimes we need to really understand what God means when he says "the field" or "the fields." We need to have the proper perspective so we can stay diligently fruitful to what the Lord has called us to do individually and corporately.
As a boost as everyone is heading back to school, we need to revisit a few things related to our summer camp series. This first message deals with the Battle for Your Heart. When God has your heart he will have everything else. Looking at Israel when God led them out of Egypt into the wilderness, the Lord provided everything they needed for their exodus, survival, and fruitfulness. God did this to win their heart over so they would whole-heartedly trust and love him! It is the same for us today... God has provided EVERYTHING for us to succeed!
Now that we are at the end of camp, it is time to make commitments. What will you do with what you heard from the Lord?
We must learn how to endure hardness and maintain focus if we are going to wage a good warfare.
If we are going to join in the fight there will always be undercurrent heart issues that we need to deal with to move forward. The Father Factor/Fracture is one of those issues. This is the first of two messages on this topic.
After salvation and surrender comes learning how to submit... We will be able to get into the fight if we learn how to have an interactive relationship with God, submit to God, and serve God. All these things Joshua learned from Moses. We need to follow a "Moses" in our life and become a faithful disciple.
After salvation comes surrender... we need to learn that God is not only willing to war for our soul but he will guide, provide, and dwell with us. The Lord truly is everything we need in this world.
God went to great lengths to war for your soul... and the events of the Exodus out of Egypt picture this perfectly.
In this final lesson of the series we talk at length about how to live out the Biblical guidelines for dating and relationships. It is not going to be easy, but if we are going to please the Lord in every area of our lives we must follow these basic things.
The first goal of the devil is to remove the authority of the Bible from our lives. The second goal is to make us question God and our relationship with him. His third goal is to make us question and doubt the will of God for our lives, and thankfully Jesus shows us exactly what we must do to fight this battle properly.
First is the spiritual foundation, then emotional, and now we talk about the physical... How can we be prepared in our hearts and minds to date God's way and have a proper perspective physically? God cares deeply about purity, and we should as well.
Job's life is on display as Satan's words are recorded the second time in the Bible. The enemy desires for us to question and doubt our relationship with God in order to defeat us and steal glory from the Lord. Take heed!
After working through how to be spiritually ready for dating God's way, now we need to dive into the emotional side. How can you prepare yourself to date emotionally?
The first time we see Satan show up and utter words his goal is to cause confusion and make us question and contradict the word of God in our personal lives. We need to beware! His tactics haven't changed a lot, but he is incredibly deceptive...
The first thing you must focus on to prepare yourself to date God's way is the spiritual foundation. This foundation is the part of you and your walk with God that is the most secure and steadfast part of your life... not because of us, but because of the Lord -- He never changes (Mal. 3:6) and he is a refuge and a very present help in time of need (Ps. 46:1).
Outside of your personal decision to trust the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ and become born-again, the 2nd most important decision you will make in this life is who you will marry. This messages are not popular with the world and our culture, but if we want to do it right we must take heed to what God has to say about relationships.
The people you choose to surround yourself with can play one of the greatest influence factors in who you will become in this life. We must "23 Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life. (Proverbs 4:23)"
This section of the series is kicked off by the topic of biblical authority. How we deal with this topic truly will determine many, many other things in life. It all comes back to our heart attitude toward the Lord and being obedient even when we don't "feel like it." This is a lesson we all need as a reminder!
This month's Q&A covers Abraham's bosom and ghosts... we will finish it out next week with a discussion on the varying views of the rapture of the church and which one is Biblical.
After learning about the identity of the body, now we dive into the purpose and design of the body. Ultimately we explore the idea of were we fit and how we figure out where God has placed us in the body.
After going through all the previous elements of this series we begin this part of the series where we explore the concept of the body of Christ. We need to understand what we are a part of once we are born again and how much we need each other!
Discipleship is the lifeblood of our church at FBCJ. It is who we are and everything we do because it is what Jesus did while he was ministering on the Earth and what he commissioned his disciples to do after his departure. BUT, if we are not careful to maintain a worshipful heart toward our Saviour and the Lord God Almighty each day and through out the day, then our service will become defiled and come to an end. True biblical discipleship creates and cultivates true worshipers of God.
In the March Q&A we dealt with a lot of very interesting questions... Noah's wife's name, the gap, life before Adam, and more... all fun things to consider!
We've discussed all the elements of Evangelism, now we must work it out! This is a fun one... :)
The scriptures are clear... disciples of Jesus Christ are commissioned to evangelize the world just as their Lord and Saviour was commissioned by the Father to go and evangelize the world. BUT, we often struggle to get out of our comfort zone to get out and engaged in this mission given to us by the Lord. So what should we do? Take a listen... :)
We are divinely designed by God and made for a mission... to be fruitful and multiply. How are we supposed to be fruitful and multiply? It can only happen through biblical discipleship! God has laid out in John 17 exactly what we are supposed to bear much fruit and see that fruit remain for his honour and glory.
In this lesson we talk about vampires and werewolves... it sure is fun and interesting, and a little unnerving! When it comes to ancient mythological stories, characters, and creatures, the Bible clearly reveals that there is some truth to them! I hope you have as much fun as we did... :)
On the last Wednesday of each month we will be doing a Q&A to mix things up a bit throughout the year... This one is a doozy as we tackle UFOs!
You and I are not an accident. Our lives are not without a purpose. We are alive today because of our Creator, the Lord Jesus Christ (Jn. 1:1-5; Heb. 1:1-2), we were made with a purpose in this world, and we exist at this point in time in human history for a reason. In this lesson we explore these critical details that can change our life!
Based on our Youth Ministry's responses to a survey we landed on this new series... Redeeming the Time. During this series we will be navigating through many different aspects of how we can practically redeem the time that God has given us upon this earth. In this intro message we talk about Ephesians 5:15-16 and what it means to biblically redeem the time by walking circumspectly and wisely with the Lord each day.
One of the biggest take-aways from 2020 that the Lord clearly wanted us to learn from all the craziness with COVID, cancel culture, etc. is the fact that grace is a necessary characteristic to have ready at an arm's length at any given moment -- towards family, friends, fellow Christians and the lost... This, without question, comes with maturity over time.
Now that we have gone through all the rules of Bible study, let's put it to work! When was Jesus born? That is what we will find out as we learn to use what we have learned...
There are some things in the Bible that will require time and personal maturity to understand. We must remember that God is infinitely wise and we will never be able to completely understand him. Similarly, God's book is supernatural and infinitely deep. We will never be able to exhaust it and completely understand it. This rule is best summarized when Jesus said, "I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now (Jn. 16:12)."
These two rules of Bible study go hand-in-hand. We should never base a major doctrine on a question or a single verse or passage in the Bible. All the major doctrines in the Bible are repeated in various places. As a basic rule, always have 2-3 verses or passages that back up and prove what you believe about God, or anything else spiritually. If you faithfully do this, it is hard to get off track into false doctrine!
When studying the Bible, we should never violate a clear passage of scripture when trying to understand a more obscure or difficult passage of scripture. There are places in the Bible that can be hard to understand, but we need to be careful to keep those places in the Bible in the proper context with other verses and passages. If we do not, then we run the risk of believing in heresy!
Our attitude toward the Bible determines everything... the state of our heart impacts what we are able to truly hear from God. If we are going to be true Bible-believers, then we must be willing to change anything that we think or believe when we find that it does not line up with what the Scriptures clearly state.
There are many people that interpret the Bible figuratively rather than literally and literally rather than figuratively. How do we know when to interpret it one way or another? It is really easier than you may think... but it is extremely important to practice consistently to keep you from false doctrine!
This time of year seems to always be a season where many in youth ministry wax and wane in their walk with God. Coming out of summer camp, ending summer, starting school, and juggling all the various responsibilities with school, extra-curricular activities, work, and family while maintaining a walk with God isn't easy to learn! We need to take a pause and re-evaluate and refocus...
God is consistent. How he deals with mankind can differ from one dispensation to another, but the Lord does not change. Once God establishes a biblical truth in scripture he is consistent from beginning to end. This will be realized in the areas of typology and numerology in God's Book. I love it!
God cannot lie, and that also means the Bible cannot lie or contradict itself. If there happens to be an apparent contradiction, always give the Bible the benefit of the doubt. Apparent contradictions are often God's way of teaching us some great and deeper spiritual truths... and at the same time, scoffers will use those same passages as an excuse to walk farther and farther away from the will of God for their lives.
God created everything after the pattern of himself. This means that when we look out into his creation we can learn lessons of spiritual truths about himself, his doctrine, and other things from the Bible. We live in a world that does not believe that God and science can coexist, but that simply isn't true! Science proves God's existence, power, and even the Trinity.
To properly study and understand the Bible you must compare scripture with scripture. The Bible is the best and most reliable commentary on the Bible, NOT other commentaries written by human authors. Using cross-referencing and a concordance is extremely valuable tools to make this happen. All of these things are free and readily available through smartphone Bible apps, so there is no excuse!
Every word and every event has been specifically chosen by God to communicate his truth, his heart, and his mind to us in HIS BOOK... the Bible. Every word of God is pure and he warns us to not mess with his words (Prov. 30:5-6). The Lord has also promised to preserve every word in his book throughout all generations (Ps. 12:6-7). This truth should change the way we see, understand, and interact with the Bible. Is the Bible your final authority? It should be... Can you trust every single word of your Bible? You should be able to...
Every book, chapter, and verse in the Bible has 3 basic applications - (1) Historical, (2) Devotional, and (3) Doctrinal. Historical deals with the details surrounding the events as they were recorded in history... the Bible is 100% accurate in all historical details. Devotional deals with how this book, chapter, and verse apply to my current life circumstances. Doctrinal deals with the deeper spiritual truths that God desires to reveal about himself, his doctrine, his heart, along with future prophetic events. There truly is no other book like God's Word!!
According to 2 Timothy 2:15 we are called by God to "Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that neededth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." We must learn how to study the Bible properly, and part of that means we need to rightly divide it. The Bible has divisions, or dispensations, where God administers his plan in different ways throughout human history. This lesson dives into this topic.
One very important contextual detail that must be considered is the People Group Factor. God has written parts of the Bible to certain people groups. All of the Bible is for us, but only part is written specifically to us. Many, many false doctrines will arise if we misapply passages and verses to our lives that were never mean to be applied to us.
The first rule of Bible Study is CONTEXT... Verses and passages must be taken in their proper context in order to understand their meaning. Many, many people steeped in false doctrine take verses and passages from the Bible OUT OF CONTEXT in order to support their false doctrines. If a person takes God's words in their proper context they cannot believe in false doctrine.
Studying the Bible is a crucial element to the Christian life. There are many believers today that believe they can be "good Christians" without possessing sound doctrine that comes from studying the scriptures. 2 Timothy 2:15 (KJV) says, "Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." In nearly all other versions of the Bible, and 100% of all modern versions, the word "study" is removed... and this is a shame. God and his words cannot be separated. The way we treat God is the way we treat his book, and the way we treat his book is the way treat God. We must study his word to know God and know what we are to do to glorify him. TRUTH!
This lesson is taught by Andy Speight... As discussed last week, life transitions are great opportunities to glorify God, but it is not easy. Andy gives us some insight to how he deals with issues of life and transitions in this lesson. They key is always remembering the truth regardless of how we feel on any given day.
Bobby Schilling teaches this week... This is the first week talking about life transitions. These times of life are hard, and they make us very vulnerable. We need to know what the Bible says and obey in order for God to get the glory he deserves from our lives. Times of vulnerability are times when we can give more glory to God!
Glorifying God in our relationships is so critical in this life. In this lesson, we will tackle the topics of family, friends, and dating and how those three areas can easily become pitfalls for us in our walk with God. At the end of the day, we need to learn how to abandon what we think and feel and adopt god's way of thinking. This is not easy to do!
In this lesson we talk about how to deal with sin. What are we supposed to do when we sin against others and we want to make it right? What are we supposed to do when others sin against us and we need to do what is right? These are not easy things to navigate, but extremely important!
Once a Christian is able to grow in their relationship with God to the point where they are gaining true spiritual strength and wisdom, there will be potential issues and pitfalls that will arise from the enemy. We need to be able to identify our enemies and see what the Bible says about how to defeat those enemies. This lesson could save our lives!
Every year we go over the purpose of our High School ministry and how we are going to fulfill our responsibility to glorify God personally and corporately in our local church. What a great reminder! The Lord is worthy of all we can offer...
Serving in a ministry in your local church is critical to your spiritual growth! It is impossible to be engaged fully in the work of the Lord and work with God if you refuse to serve... Bobby explores this topic in this lesson and what the Bible says about serving.
The other element that comes right after evangelism is discipleship. The biblical reality is that evangelism and discipleship are two sides of the same coin... this is what God always desired. Some churches emphasize evangelism and fall short on discipleship while others emphasize discipleship and fall short with evangelism. Both are wrong. Discipleship includes evangelism and we must keep the plan of God to reach the world in motion!
After learning to walk with God and have a healthy relationship with him, then we can focus on working alongside him wherever he is at with anyone we come in contact with. The lost need saved and the saved need to grow... and we get to take part in that process! First, we take a look at evangelism.
Once we understand the strength training principles of Discipleship and how to study the Bible, now we talk about why we need to memorize the Bible. Learning how to hide God's word in your heart through memorization is critical to our daily faithfulness and overall strength training.
Part 2 of strength training focuses on how to study the Bible and the tools that can be used to help with this process. If we are to be obedient to 2 Timothy 2:15 to study to show ourselves approved of God, then we need to become biblical students of the scriptures.
After learning how to intimately walk with God on a consistent basis, the next step is learning how to grow stronger in our personal relationship with God... that is where discipleship comes into play. Discipleship is something created in the mind of God to help us be the ambassadors we are called to be for the Lord.
This is the 2nd part of the prayer aspect of our communication with God. This lesson focuses on praying in secret and praying with importunity. Both are highly misunderstood and neglected, but both are critical to having a real, thriving prayer life with the Lord.
After "Keeping your heart" and "Reading the Bible" we now talk about "Prayer"... This one will last for a couple of episodes. Prayer is a topic that we always need to keep in front of us! We live in a day and age where we struggle to find time, especially for God. The reality is that there is time for what we truly want. It always comes back to our individual heart and priorities. We need to understand prayer as a priority and learn how to pray.
Moving from learning how to keep your heart, we focus on reading the Bible and making it a top priority in our lives. The Bible is how we hear from God, which is one of the two critical aspects of our communication with him. If we are not willing to hear God then it is impossible to have a true and healthy relationship with him.
Continuing our series from several weeks ago, this time we have now is more critical than ever to make sure that we know how to walk with God and have good, quality, intimate time with him through prayer and reading the Bible. The key to all this is our heart. In part 1 of this section of the series we discuss what it means to keep your heart and how to do this biblically.
In this discussion today we hit Jesus' first miracle: turning water into wine. We also hit many other good observations and questions. Enjoy!
In this discussion we go over John chapter 1 with all our questions and things that God taught us. Tomorrow will be John chapter 2!
Please take a listen to hear a quick reflection on Sunday's Livestream service and what the tentative plan is for this week!
Take a listen to hear how the next three weeks are going to go for our church and youth ministry. Make sure that you have notifications turned on in GroupMe!
In this series, we will look at how to practically walk with God each and every day. Along the way, we will have challenges to stretch our current state into a more obedient life with the Lord. We tend to complicate things in the Christian life, but God has made it something that is very easy and achievable if we are willing to listen and obey what he says about having a relationship with him... it all comes down to our heart.
In this lesson, we break into the first part of the speaking gifts... Evangelism and Teaching. It is important to see what the Bible says about these gifts and not trust in what we think we know or what we see other Christians highly esteem - "...for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God." (Lk. 15:15)
This last mystery really shows how effective the mystery of iniquity is in the hand of the devil. From the moment Lucifer fell into sin the mystery of iniquity began and it manifests itself in the mystery of Babylon the Great. Only a Bible-believer will be able to see this one clearly as God detailed it in the scriptures.
This mystery has been at work from the very beginning of Lucifer's fall and will continue until he is cast into the lake of fire. He will do anything and everything he can to counter, counterfeit, and confound the work of God. Ultimately, if we are not careful, we can fall prey to the mystery of iniquity in our own lives, and when we do we immediately halt our ability to glorify God.
This lesson goes through the scriptural details of the rapture where it fits into the timeline of history. Seeing the Lord Jesus Christ face to face, whenever that may occur, should excite us, purify us, and cause us to be better stewards of our time here and now!
God specifically states in Romans 11:25 that we are not to be ignorant of this mystery. If we choose to disregard this mystery we will find ourselves dabbling in many, many false doctrines that will warp our whole view of the Bible. We need to take the time to understand this and get it right!
Many of Christians today, and myself included, misunderstand the body of Christ, our purpose in it, and why God designed it to be this way. When I have a construed view of the Church then I will not be able to glorify God properly in my life. The body of Christ is a unique way that we can glorify God now unlike any other!
The only gift in this category that is still in operation today is the discerning of spirits gift. This gift from the Holy Ghost is very valuable in building up the body of Christ through accountability and protecting against false teachers and false doctrine. Do you have this gift?
The revealing gifts that are still in operation today are the word of wisdom, the word of knowledge, and faith. All of these are critical to the edifying of the body of Christ as they reveal God's wisdom through his word at the right place, at the right time, and in the right way. Do you have these gifts?
The miracle of salvation is something that we should never grow tired of hearing and thinking about! The Spirit of Christ permanently joins our dead spirit to give us new life and he literally takes up residence in our mortal bodies. This reality should impact every facet of our daily lives. Wow!
This mystery is of utmost importance - God was manifest in the flesh! If we get this one wrong we will get everything about God, Jesus, and salvation wrong and it will send us to hell! There is great controversy over this biblical truth, but there doesn't have to be any controversy in our lives about it! We can have great confidence because God specifically states, "And without controversy, great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh..."
The seven New Testament mysteries are incredibly important for us to know and understand. God calls us stewards of these seven mysteries, and our stewardship of them will determine the rewards we receive at the judgment seat of Christ. Those rewards we receive at that time will be used by us to glorify God for all eternity! We better take heed!
This lesson picks up where we left off to go deeper into understanding why sign gifts (specifically healing, tongues, interpretation of tongues) are no longer in operation during the church age.
From Joshua chapter 13-24 Israel subdues the land, divides out their inheritance, settles in, and sets up the kingdom under God’s rule and authority. All along the way the enemies of God continue to counter God’s plans and purposes, and they will never stop. Salvation, entering into our land, and seeing major victories are only the beginning of our walk with the Lord! We need to heed these final take-aways to stay on-guard and on the offensive in the daily spiritual warfare around us.
In this lesson, we take a high-level look at all the spiritual gifts, and then we take a look at the gifts that are highly misunderstood - healing, tongues, interpretation of tongues, and other sign gifts.
From Joshua chapter 13-24 Israel subdues the land, divides out their inheritance, settles in, and sets up the kingdom under God’s rule and authority. All along the way, the enemies of God continue to counter God’s plans and purposes, and they will never stop. Salvation, entering into our land, and seeing major victories are only the beginning of our walk with the Lord! We need to heed these final take-aways to stay on-guard and on the offensive in the daily spiritual warfare around us.
In this lesson, we lay the groundwork for the future weeks. In order to understand spiritual gifts properly in our own lives, we must be willing to truly and honestly know ourselves.
Looking at the nation of Israel and their preparation for the battle we can learn many things that will help us in our daily Christian walk.
From Joshua chapter 13-24 Israel subdues the land, divides out their inheritance, settles in, and sets up the kingdom under God’s rule and authority. All along the way, the enemies of God continue to counter God’s plans and purposes, and they will never stop. Salvation, entering into our land, and seeing major victories are only the beginning of our walk with the Lord! We need to heed these final take-aways to stay on-guard and on the offensive in the daily spiritual warfare around us.
When confronted with the truth of the Word of God, it can be easy to acknowledge that what God says is true and that the wisdom that comes from the Bible is what we need to hear. The hard part is humbling ourselves and allowing what God says to practically change us from the inside out. A changed life that lines up more and more with God’s Word is proof that we are walking in obedience to the Lord. If you are willing to become obedient to the Lord, the following principles will help you live out the biblical guidelines we have discussed.
The Bible places great importance on physical purity (1 Cor. 6:18-20; Prov. 6:24-29; Job 31:9-12). It is not only a sin against God that defiles the picture of the gospel that he desires to display through your life, but it is a sin against your body that was made in the image of God! When it comes to dating always remember, if they are not concerned about protecting your purity, they do not care about protecting their own… and they are definitely not concerned about what the Lord thinks! (Prov. 16:6; 23:17; Phil. 2:3-4)
Now that Joshua and Israel are walking in step with God and gained massive victories in Jericho and Ai, the other enemies of the land respond to the people of God. When God is at work and the word of God is declared, there is always a division among the people (Lk. 12:51-53; Jn. 7:43; 9:16; 10:19-21; Acts 28:24). The enemy of God will never rest as we allow God to lead us into major victories, but God end up using the enemy’s response to open up new doors for even more victories when we continue to follow his lead!
The emotional part of a person is referring to what kind of person they are like. It can be surface-level things like their interests and annoyances, or deeper things like their character, values, and overall personality. These characteristics are likely to change over time, especially as the spiritual part of a person grows and matures. The best way one can mature in this area of life is by learning to let the truth rather than emotions lead the decision-making process. (1 Cor. 8:3; 14:33; Jas. 3:16; Ps. 51:6; 119:30).
After a stunning defeat in Ai due to Achan’s sin of taking the accursed thing, the people of Israel are feeling the pangs of defeat and demotivation. Where do they go from here? There is still a mission from God to take their land… but what are they to do? They must turn to the Lord to get instruction and get back into the battle. Joshua hears from God and leads the people back into the mission. The grace of God runs deep when we are willing to truthfully and thoroughly deal with sin.
In this lesson, Bobby goes through what the Bible says about having a ministry-minded marriage and examples of success found in the Scripture.
In this lesson, Rick discusses the topic of the assurance of salvation that was prompted by a real-life circumstance. This is part 1 of 2.
Going back to the very beginning, and most important part of this series, our relationship with God must be our top priority. Our personal relationship with God impacts every other relationship in our life. When our relationship with God is not right, no other relationship will be right, and especially when it comes to dating! As we walk with God daily, we will find ourselves glorifying Him by being in the center of His will, actively taking ownership in His work, and being faithful in every area of our life... not because it is our duty, but because we love Him (1 John 4:19, 9-10)! When you live this kind of life, the love for God and His work becomes such a focus that you consistently pursue the Lord in all aspects of your life. This focus shapes your character, values, habits, behaviour, and decisions... and ESPECIALLY your future career and potential spouse. In fact, you may be so busy pursuing God that you will not even be looking for your future spouse... He will have to be the one to introduce you two (Genesis 2:22; 24:62-67)!
VICTORY!! God gave his people an amazing victory over Jericho. Israel was totally and utterly obedient to every word of the Lord every step of the way and God gave them the victory! But then we see the first word of chapter 7: “BUT...” “But the children of Israel committed a trespass in the accursed thing...” In the midst of victory, when their guard was down, sin crept in, defiled the whole nation, and resulted in casualties. This trespass needed to be dealt with or else they will never be victorious again in the mission God gave them. We must take heed to the lessons God is teaching us in these chapters if we are going to overcome our weaknesses and faults to truly glorify our Lord.
Often our emotions get in the way I making sound decisions. This is especially true when it comes to dating! We need wisdom from the word of God...
In this lesson we lay the groundwork for dating biblically by going back to reinforce the first principles of biblical relationships and seeing how that practically works out in the dating world.
Now that God’s people are fully prepared inside and out, it’s time for their first battle – Jericho. This is the day they’ve been waiting for as a nation since they left Egypt. God’s battle plan seems to be very unconventional, but we will see that the people are obedient to whatever God says and the Lord is able to work wonders in and through them! Consider your own heart, life, and mission field as we go through this chapter. What has God asked you to do? Are you willing to do anything God asks of you?
Outside of Jesus Christ every single person is flawed by their sin, sin nature, and sinful flesh, so it is inevitable for relationships among each other to be plagued with problems. What truly matters is what we do about it. No normal human likes conflict, but having peace among each other is truly priceless! Let’s choose to have a humble heart and learn what we need to do to deal with relationship difficulties the right way.
God has taken his people on a journey of transition from the leadership of Moses to Joshua, established proper leadership, gave them a mission with inspiring words of encouragement, had them spy out the land of their inheritance in preparation, and led them miraculously across the Jordan River with Jericho in their view. The children of Israel are about to head into their first battle... but before they can fight they must prepare personally and corporately from the heart. If you and I are going to fight for our promised land(s), heart preparation is required!
Outside of the family unit the next most influential relationship are your friendships. Those that we make close bonds with often shape who we are and what kind of person we will become. Many times we don’t even realize how they change us. Friendships are made through common interests, similar goals, and shared values (Prov. 13:20; Ps. 119:63; Mal. 3:16; Heb. 10:24). Consequently, your closest friends reveal the true pursuit of your heart, “For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also” (Matt. 6:21).
After the husband and wife relationship in Genesis 1-3, we are introduced to the sibling relationship between Cain and Abel. Their relationship did not go well, and we see this pattern continue throughout human history... much to learn from!!
When a born-again believer in Jesus Christ has submitted his/her heart and life to the Lord to establish proper leadership, determined to have great strength and courage in their Lord and his word, and willingly, prayerfully, and obediently spied out the land God has promised them (heart/mind and their personal mission field) to see where and how God is working, it’s now time to pass over Jordan... Joshua 3-4.
The marriage relationship is one of the most influential aspects of our lives. It is the 1st relationship we are introduced to as a child. We must have the right perspective in order to do things God’s way...
God has given us at least 2 lands to conquer for his glory: our hearts/minds and a mission field (school, work, family, etc.). Before we go to war we must spy it out!
This is a continuation from last Sunday’s message... establishing proper leadership, our daily perspective, and having proper strength and courage is critical to building properly on the foundation of Jesus Christ.
Right after God establishes the relationships between himself and mankind and Adam and Eve, Satan shows up to destroy everything... We need to understand this in order to have proper relationships.
After Salvation you must build properly on the foundation the Lord Jesus Christ made for you when he purchased your soul with his precious blood. If you don’t build right, you’ll have to go back and tear things down in order to rebuild properly!!
The relationship that we have between our creator is the most important one we could ever have in this life. Only through our relationship with the Lord we can understand all other relationships. This is what we see in Genesis chapters 1, 2, and 3. We must obey these principles in order to have good relationships with each other.
Learning to walk with God is one of the most important things that we can pursue in this life. The book of Joshua lays out for us everything we need to know to follow the Lord Jesus Christ and defeat giants and conquer our promised land on a personal, devotional level.
It’s that time again for us to go over Biblical Relationships! This study is key for every aspect of our life. In this lesson we talk about our need to humbly and willingly hear what God has to say and change our way of thinking. Our relationship with the Lord will determine our ability to have healthy, real, and fruitful relationships everywhere else!
Why do we have a youth ministry at FBCJ? Why should you be involved in our youth ministry?
Are you prepared for camp and the things God desires to teach you, show you, and change in you? We need to be prepared to submit ourselves to the Lord... this message is what we need to do this week.
Are you ready for our annual summer camp? This message is intended to prepare your heart as you prepare to head to camp, which is just over a week away... Romans 12:1-2 is a critical passage we need to consider.
Do modern-day magicians use devils in their magic? What does the Bible say about condemning cussing, drugs, drinking, etc.?
Now that we are in the New Testament period, does that mean the Old Testament should be completely done away with?
Will we have different personalities in heaven? Will we know each other? What about marriage?
Praying with Importunity is the real test of our faith. This means taking things to God in prayer continually, without ceasing, and fainting not. This is something that we need to consider and practice daily.
Prayer in the secret place is the true test of a faithful born again believer. God honors prayer which is done in secret to be seen of no one else.
Waiting on the Lord is one of the most difficult things to learn in life, but it is the most rewarding when we biblically obey. We all need to heed these truths.
This lesson is the first of four on the topic of prayer. In order for us to understand prayer from a biblical perspective we must forget all that we know, or think we know, about prayer and learn from Jesus himself about what true prayer actually is. This is what the disciples had to do in Luke 11, and we must do the same.
In order for us to forgive the right way we have to be able to understand forgiveness from God’s perspective. There’s no other way around it!
Knowing the details of the end is critical for us in the last days of the church age. It’s so easy today for us to be focused on self while many are headed straight toward destruction! Let’s now be that way...
Bitterness is an evil, satanic tool that this world, our flesh, and the devil uses to thwart the plan of God in our lives. We must do everything we can to avoid it from taking root in our hearts. It will defile everything!
In this episode we conclude our study on the rapture by taking a look at three phases of the rapture taught in the Scriptures and the glorified body we will receive when we meet the Lord in the air. All these things should give us great hope and peace!
Our faithfulness to the Lord stands or falls on the motives of our heart. This is so critical for us to understand each and every day!
After the events of the rapture every born-again believer will stand before the judgment seat of Christ to give an account of the stewardship of their lives after salvation. This eternal perspective should give us immediate sobriety every day in order to live for what matters most! ...the word of God and the souls of men.
Salvation through Christ changes everything! It can be easy to forget and take it for granted. We must remember and allow our salvation to drive everything we do in our lives.
To me, the rapture is one of the most interesting things in the scriptures pertaining to the church. It is absolutely amazing! The hope that we have in Jesus Christ is sure, and it should help us receive comfort in any circumstance we go through in this life.
In this lesson we wrap up our discussion about creation, re-creation, and the gap. This issue from a biblical perspective really broadens our understanding of the whole Bible. It is critically important!
Our vision as a church this year is to be ready to go, so what does that mean for us as a youth ministry?
As we compare scripture with scripture we find some amazing truths about God and his overall plan. The topic of creation and recreation is one that really helps us understand God’s heart.
The spirit of this church age will lead us to utter failure in our mission given to us by God, but we don’t have to fail if we don’t want to! We need to follow Jesus’s example and lead to be successful in our daily walk.
The concept of time is something that came from the heart and mind of God, and it is quite fascinating!
We often leave Jesus outside and only invite him in when it benefits us, but we ought not to do that!
During this Laodicean age it can become very easy to take the gospel for granted. When we forget what Christ has done for us we will choose to sin and destroy God’s work in our lives! We need to remember...
Even though our church age ends in failure at the rapture of the church, we don’t have to fail as individual Christians! We need reminded of true love and receive God’s rebuke when it comes. This requires humility, which is not one of our strong characteristics.
This episode goes over what the Bible says about hell, the bottomless pit, and the lake of fire. This reality should shake us to our core and cultivate a heart for the lost and dying!
This lesson looks at the Laodicean problem of not being hot or cold and what God means by that statement.
This lesson briefly talks about the topic of heaven in the Bible. Learning about these things should help us stay eternally focused to make better decisions every day!
One of the things that plagues us the most as Christians in this church age is humbling ourselves before the Lord and submitting to his authority in every area of our life. We often fool ourselves into thinking that we are submissive when in fact we are not.
After discussing the types of spiritual beings that exist in the spirit world, we then moved on to discuss the hierarchy found within the spirit world.
Jesus said that we would be able to overcome the spirit of this church age, but we have to be obedient to some very specific things found in the letter to the Laodiceans. This lesson discusses those things, so we should take heed!
Part one of this study discusses the types of beings in the spiritual world. Next week we will be discussing part two about the overall hierarchy found in the spirit world.
This first characteristic is the underlying characteristic of all the other ones we will be discussing in the weeks to come. We live in an age that demands “my personal rights” and when left unchecked by the Bible and Biblical authority is will create a self-willed monster that destroys everything.
In a day and age where the Holy Spirit is commonly misunderstood and misrepresented it is more important now than ever we get it straight from the Bible.
This series on the Laodicean church is meant to help us understand and undo the spirit of the age. We are spiritually destitute and self deceived about our true condition. God is good enough to include the letter to the Laodicean Revelation chapter 3 in order for us to see things properly. I am so thankful!
After establishing the doctrine of God the next doctrinal topic to discuss is the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the author and finisher of our faith, so we must understand him biblically to have all our doctor and set an order. It is absolutely critical!
This morning we discuss the concept of the Godhead, or the trinity. This truth is critical for every believer to understand!
This lesson goes through seven aspects of a successful disciple that is able to fulfill the will of God in their life. These seven things are absolutely critical to being a successful disciple and a fruitful Christian in this world!
In this lesson we discuss the existence of God and his attributes. Before you can begin building a good theological understanding you must understand God first. Once we understand who God is and what he is like it will help us understand the rest of Biblical theology.
This series will deal with various doctrinal studies found in the Bible. In this introduction we see that if we don’t care about doctrine we don’t care much for God’s reputation and character. Sound doctrine matters!!
It is impossible to fully trust the Lord without humility. We often become prideful and take out life back into our own hands, and the result is always messy.
After talking about the three aspects of the typical relationship triangle, now challenge is practically applying what the Bible says to our lives. This is not easy to do, but if we are willing to be humble and obedient, God will bless our relationships and beyond anything we could ever imagine!
Learning to be alone with God is extremely important and often neglected by many Christians. We have the opportunity to have a real relationship with the Lord every day, but if we never get alone with God it will never become real to us!
This lesson discusses the last part of the biblical relationships triangle - physical. Many people avoid this area but it is so critical! Do not be foolish, be wise!
Here we follow up from 3 weeks ago where we discussed how we can mature into a minister of Jesus Christ. We opened up with an object lesson relating different kinds of people to various fruits. This is the lesson afterward.
This message discusses the emotional guidelines we need to follow to be prepared for dating. These things are often overlooked, so we should be aware!
If we’re going to do things God’s way then we need to make sure that we have a proper foundation. These spiritual guidelines will help us to find out where we are truly at and if we are ready for the dating scene.
Tonight we discussed details about spiritual warfare, persecution, and how to deal with it properly. We often are quick to give up instead of realizing we’ve already won the fight with Christ in our corner!
In this lesson we discuss ways to have a more profitable gospel conversations with others.
This lesson covers the unbiblical and biblical reasons to date another person. This is a very important topic because we often fall prey to our own deceitful heart (Jer. 17:9-10).
In this lesson we discuss the various methods that could be employed to share the gospel with other people. We definitely had a fun time together!
In this first part we discuss the heart corrections we must have in order to be faithful witnesses and ambassadors of Jesus Christ.
This lesson deals with some practical ways to overcome sin issues and allow God to be glorified in and through them! I hope you’re blessed...
This lesson we talk about the importance of having good friendships. In the lesson we use the example of two kings in Israel’s history to prove this point.
This lesson we talk about what it means to be a faithful witness of the Lord Jesus Christ.
In this lesson we discuss the importance and value sibling relationships. They are very important in our lives and teach us many things about life, ourselves, and the Lord!
In this message we finish discussing how to cultivate the heart of a disciple. In order to be a faithful disciple we must have our heart right!
In this episode we discuss the importance of the husband and wife relationship. Most teens will likely be married at some point, so it’s important to start putting into practice these important responsibilities right now!
In order to be a faithful disciple you have to have the right heart attitude. This is part one of this discussion.
In this episode we conclude our discussion on what the Bible says about the relationship between God and mankind. It is critical that we understand this concept in order to have proper biblical relationships everywhere else!
This is the intro to our new series on what it means to be a successful disciple of Jesus Christ. In this episode we discuss what is a disciple and how one can become a disciple of Jesus Christ.
FBCJ recently went to Findlay, Ohio to participate in a Discipleship conference with Cornerstone Baptist Church. The goal was to help them get 1:1 discipleship launched in their church. We had a wonderful time!
A message originally planned for the youth in Mexico, Andy had a chance to share it with the youth at FBCJ.