Eureka Baptist Church: Recent Episodes
Eureka Baptist Church
THE BIRTH OF THE CHURCH Acts 2 records the birthday of the church, when the Holy Spirit descended upon the 120 believers who were assembled in the Upper Room. It also records the growth process of the infant church. On the Day of Pentecost, about 3000 people believed the gospel, repented of their sins,…
ROOT OF PRAYER God’s sovereignty is his right and power to do all that he decides to do. “I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted. God’s providence is his seeing to everything that needs to be done to bring about his purposes happens. declaring the end from the…
Which of these subjects did Jesus preach on the most; Heaven, Hell, or Money? Jesus talked more about money/possessions than He did Heaven and Hell combined. Why did Jesus put such an emphasis on money and possessions? Because there’s a fundamental connection between our spiritual lives and how we think…
ONE ANOTHER Today’s one another focus on living in harmony with one another or a shorter version is unity. Chapter 14 and the 1st ½ of 15 are one extended discussion about how to get along with people in the church who disagree with you on something you feel passionate about. UNITY IS MORE IMPORTANT…
As Americans, we prefer a God who is small a God we can manage, predict and control. We want a God that feels safe to us. One that we can fully understand and explain. One that doesn’t embarrass, confuse, contradict us or make us made. We want what C.S. Lewis called a “tamed lion”. The God of the Bible…
SHE DID WHAT SHE COULD DO BECAUSE JESUS DID FOR HER WHAT SHE COULD NOT DO. Jesus did for her what she could not do. What could she not do? As we celebrate Easter today how many of us have considered this to be a celebration of what we could not do? Jesus did for her what she could not do. What could…
It was now two days before the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread. And the chief priests and the scribes were seeking how to arrest him by stealth and kill him, for they said, “Not during the feast, lest there be an uproar from the people.” And while he was at Bethany in the house of Simon the…
JESUS GIVES US DETAILS TO PROMOTE DISCIPLE MAKING NOT TO PREDICT DATES. When it comes to difficult passages we need to remember. . . THE MAIN THINGS ARE THE PLAIN THINGS AND THE PLAIN THINGS ARE THE MAIN THINGS. And as he came out of the temple, one of his disciples said to him, “Look, Teacher, what…
And as Jesus taught in the temple, he said, “How can the scribes say that the Christ is the son of David? David himself, in the Holy Spirit, declared, “ ‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at my right hand, until I put your enemies under your feet.” ’ David himself calls him Lord. So how is he his son?”…
And one of the scribes came up and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, asked him, “Which commandment is the most important of all?” Jesus answered, “The most important is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God…
DON'T BE DEAD WRONG ABOUT LIFE AFTER DEATH. Nearly every culture has possessed some type of belief in the afterlife. A nineteenth-century professor at Yale University named James Dwight Dana summed up this hope of abiding life when he said I do not believe that God would create man and then desert him…
His name was Irwin Rommel. He was to be known as the Desert Fox. But before leading the Axis army in North Africa, Rommel was a commander in the German army as they invaded France in 1940. It was during that invasion that Rommel tells of having taken a ride in his command car to reconnoiter the front.…
As they passed by in the morning, they saw the fig tree withered away to its roots. And Peter remembered and said to him, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree that you cursed has withered.” And Jesus answered them, “Have faith in God. Truly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown…
And they came to Jericho. And as he was leaving Jericho with his disciples and a great crowd, Bartimaeus, a blind beggar, the son of Timaeus, was sitting by the roadside. And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and say, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” And many rebuked…
THEIR REQUEST REVEALED THEIR IMMATURITY NOT THEIR IGNORANCE. These two men were not ignorant concerning Jesus teaching on greatness. As we saw in Mark 9 Jesus addressed their ignorance on this crucial teaching. In Mark 9 Jesus does not repudiate greatness He redefines it. He taught them that greatness…
And as he was setting out on his journey, a man ran up and knelt before him and asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone. You know the commandments: ‘Do not murder, Do not commit adultery, Do not…
Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you is no trouble to me and is safe for you. Look out for the dogs, look out for the evildoers, look out for those who mutilate the flesh. For we are the circumcision, who worship by the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and…
In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria. And all went to be registered, each to his own town. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city…
“Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him if a great millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea. And if your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than with two hands to go to hell,…
G.O.A.T. is a recent addition to our mainstream vernacular. It was first introduce to us by Muhammad Ali but did not become mainstream until the early 2000. According to Wikipedia it is a term used to describe the ultimate incarnation of anything, from and athlete to an automobile. Many Christians might…
THIS TEXT IS TAILORED TO TEACH US THAT WE HAVE BEEN SAVED NOT TO EXORCISE DEMONS BUT TO EXERCISE FAITH. And he went up on the mountain and called to him those whom he desired, and they came to him. And he appointed twelve (whom he also named apostles) so that they might be with him and he might send…
And after six days Jesus took with him Peter, and James, and John his brother, and led them up into an high mountain apart by themselves to pray: and he was transfigured before them. And as he prayed, the fashion of his countenance was altered, and his face did shine as the sun. And his raiment became…
INVITATION TO DISCIPLESHIP And He summoned the crowd with His disciples, and said to them, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. (If anyone) it’s a broad invitation (would) based on your desirability not ability (come after) a definitive act (me)…
On January 28, 1986, NASA was planning to launch the space shuttle Challenger from Kennedy Space Center—a mission that included a schoolteacher named Christa McAuliffe. The launch had already been delayed a few times. On the night before the new launch date, NASA held a long conference call with engineers…
Today’s text is tailored to teach us that “ Jesus is point blank with the spiritually blind and patient with the spiritual slow .” JESUS IS POINT BLANK WITH THE SPIRITUALLY BLIND. The spiritually blind are argumentative. The Pharisees came and began to argue with him, seeking from him a sign from heaven…
THIS TEXT IS TAILORED TO TEACH US THAT JESUS IS ENOUGH FOR EVERYONE EVEN THESE PEOPLE. Jesus is entering His final days of earthly ministry. His crucifixion, an event He has often spoken of, is just weeks away. However, in our text Jesus does not speak of His impending destiny. His focus at this moment…
O Lord , our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens. Out of the mouth of babies and infants, you have established strength because of your foes, to still the enemy and the avenger. When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and…
Who am I? Why am I here? Where am I going? These are just a few of what we call “the ultimate questions of life,” questions that run through our minds and haunt us all of our lives. Do I really matter? Does my life have a purpose? If God exists, does He know I exist? And if He does, does He even care…
The late Supreme Court Justice, Louis Brandeis, said to his frustrated, impatient daughter, “My dear, if you would only recognize that life is hard, things would be so much easier for you.” Jesus told the disciples to expect trials. He begins John 16 by stating “I have said all these things to you to…
Psalm 73 begins the third book of the Psalter—the collection of some of Israel's prized hymns, ballads, and congregational hymns. It reminds us of the importance of music in both corporate and individual worship. It reminds us, more importantly, that the subject of our music should be the LORD. Of the…
The phrase “God helps those who help themselves” was made popular by Benjamin Franklin in his publication Poor Richards Almanac. His famous axiom, which was not original with him, has so ingrained itself into American life that many believe it to be Scripture. Pollster George Barna verifies this belief…
Today’s text teaches us the idiocy of idolatry. The Psalmist pulls back the certain of our heart and shows us the insanity of idolatry. This song can be sung in four words . . . TRUST IN GOD NOT IN IDOLS. Psalm 115 is the third song in the Egyptian Hallel. The Egyptian Hallel is made up of Psalm 113-118…
The Lord delivers us for His glory and the good of others. David glorifies the Lord in verses 1 through 10 as He testifies of the Lord’s deliverance. DELIVERANCE GIVES US A TESTIMONY. All biblical testimonies possess three elements. THE WORSHIP OF GOD Three verbs describe his worship. BLESS I will bless…
Psalm 46 can be called the KEEP CALM Psalm. It is a song of confident trust. It was the Psalm of the Reformation. Martin Luther wrote his beloved hymn “A Mighty Fortress is our God” from this Psalm. He wrote his great hymn during a debilitating time of extreme crisis. It was the summer of 1527, and the…
Christ-centered bravery is not just for missionaries two hundred years ago. We need confidence and courage ourselves today. We might be afraid to stand for Christ when we are alone on a business trip with our boss and our colleagues. We might be afraid to stand as a Christian at a family reunion. We…
But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. But if you are led by the…
Pastor Ray Ortlund writes, "The kind of God we really believe in is revealed in how we treat one another. The lovely gospel of Jesus positions us to treat one another like royalty, and every non-gospel positions us to treat one another like dirt. But we will follow through horizontally on whatever we…
“Will any one of you who has a servant plowing or keeping sheep say to him when he has come in from the field, ‘Come at once and recline at table’? Will he not rather say to him, ‘Prepare supper for me, and dress properly, and serve me while I eat and drink, and afterward you will eat and drink’? Does…
What’s the biggest misconception Christians have about giving? That when we give money away to a church or ministry, or to help the needy, it’s gone. they believe this is a one-sided benefit. Once it leaves their hands, they imagine, it has no connection to them, no future implications relevant to their…
No one finds God, he is not lost. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” No one seeks God. Why? Sin as it is written: “None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. Satan In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep…
Peter’s story is much like Simba’s in “The Lion King”. Simba feels responsible for his father’s death. Though he was tricked by Scar into the very act that instigated his father’s death he nevertheless felt its guilt. Scar’s words caused Simba to flee the pride; “The King is dead. And if it weren’t for…
He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, WORDS OF COMFORT I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world…
The urgency of eternity should motivate us to get up, get dressed, and get busy. GET UP Besides this you know the time, that the hour has come for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed. The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then let us cast off…
I’m speaking this morning on a subject about which I have almost no experience: Doing right when you’re wronged. I’ve had many instances where people did wrong things to me, of course, but rarely anything traumatic. However, some listening to me this very day have suffered traumatic wrongs such as; parental…
In October 2011 Gordon (94) and Norma (90) Yeager married 72 years died in the hospital holding hands one hour apart. The couple was hospitalized after a car accident just outside of Marshalltown, Iowa. They were given a shared room in the ICU where they held hands in adjacent beds. At 3:38 pm Gordon's…
Last week, we said that hospitality is a three-legged stool, with the first leg being our experience of God's gracious nature. Tonight we look at the second leg, hospitality as covenant union. Hospitality as Covenant Union Just as there is a real union between each believer and God, by virtue of covenant,…
Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. There is a popular maxim that says Your actions speak so loud I can’t hear what you are saying. Our text today calls us to an action that not only speaks loud it gives validation to our message, that the God of heaven and earth seeks to reconcile…
It crucifies the flesh. But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith…
Paul's letter to Roman believers teaches us the two fundamentals of Christianity; doctrine and duty. Paul spends eleven chapters rooting them in doctrine and five chapters rooting them on to duty. Doctrine roots us in the soil of God's rich mercy and these mercies root us on in our duty. Since arriving…
Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality. Last Sunday we examine Paul’s call to generosity in our text. Our main point from last week’s sermon was The mercies of God take a person who is bent on getting and turns them into a person who is bent on giving . As recipients of such…
Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality. In Romans 12:9-21 Paul uses participles to help us understand and apply His opening imperative. I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which…
The Sovereignty of God is the fuel and fan not the excuse for a devoted prayer life. The longer I walk with him, the more comfort I find in passages like these from Isaiah: remember the former things of old; for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me, declaring the end from…
Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. IDENTITY CRISIS We all have a particular image of ourselves - beliefs about the kind of person we are. Book sales, podcasts, social media posts, and magazine articles reveal our desire for a strong sense of identity. Human beings spend…
In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria. And all went to be registered, each to his own town. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city…
But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, Have you ever been in a situation in your life where you felt the timing of something was terrible? I wonder how Mary, a young teenage girl, felt when the angel Gabriel appeared to her with news of her…
See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Would you agree this morning that stress not sanity is dominating most American’s at this time of year? Why are most people…
Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. But as he…
In season 3 episode 24 entitled Aunt Bee’s Medicine Man Aunt Bee is seduced by a “medicine man” named Colonel Harvey. The Colonel promises that his 170-proof tonic provides temporary relief from mid-life crisis. This promise appeals to Aunt Bee as she is struggling with various issues in her life. This…
British journalist James Bartholomew observed a trend in modern Western culture and coined a new English term to describe it. He called it “virtue signaling.” What is virtue signaling? I will define it by using an illustration. I recently saw a Facebook post about feeding the homeless which received…
THINKING RIGHTLY ABOUT OURSELVES For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. How are we to think about ourselves? In verse 3 Paul again…
Now when Job’s three friends heard of all this evil that had come upon him, they came each from his own place, Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite. They made an appointment together to come to show him sympathy and comfort him. And when they saw him from a distance, they…
but standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son!” JESUS PORTRAYS PARENTAL HONORING. On the cross we behold…
Christ's second statement came in response to the request of the dying thief. Before considering Christ's reply, let us first ponder what precipitated them. Christ’s crucifixion between two thieves fulfilled His Father’s plan. There are no accidents in a world governed by God. The Sovereign God is presiding…
And when they came to the place that is called The Skull, there they crucified him, and the criminals, one on his right and one on his left. And Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” And they cast lots to divide his garments. And the people stood by, watching, but the rulers…
and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. Jesus oriented “The Lord’s Prayer” to reorient our hearts because our hearts fluctuate between order and disorder. We need daily ordering, and this is the Lord’s design for prayer. In this section, Jesus wants to reorient our relationship…
A bar called Drummond's, in Mt Vernon, Texas began construction on an expansion of their building, hoping to "grow" their business. In response, the local Southern Baptist Church started a campaign to block the bar from expanding - petitions, prayers, etc. About a week before the bar's grand reopening,…
And behold, a lawyer stood up to put him to the test, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” He said to him, “What is written in the Law? How do you read it?” And he answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength…
Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. But as he…
Now before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart out of this world to the Father, having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. During supper, when the devil had already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray him,…
contains the final three parables of Jesus teaching ministry. Jesus is now 48 hours away from His crucifixion. These are His final days and His final words. We would do well this morning to heed the final words of a dying man. Those who know that death is imminent only speak what they want remembered.…
In today’s text we find Jesus once again in conversation. In the preceding chapter Jesus was engaged in a midnight conversation with a devoutly religious Jew and a learned theologian named Nicodemus. Today’s text, , is a conversation with an uneducated and immoral Samaritan woman. The contrast between…
Our text this morning is often called “the gospel within the gospel”. The gospel’s are filled with radical stories but none as radical as this one. Jesus means for his parable to correct the human misconception of how one connects to God. His parable finds the entire human race guilty of knowing how…
It’s safe to say that our society deals with more distractions than any previous society in history. Most of us persistently feel pulled in different directions. I saw a bumper sticker once that said, “God loves you and everyone has a wonderful plan for your life.” I certainly feel that—, and it seems…
Today there is a faulty perspective of Jesus that is extremely dangerous and seductive. This is exposed by David Platt in his book Radical. In a blog David wrote, We American Christians have a way of taking the Jesus of the Bible and twisting him into a version of Jesus that we are more comfortable with.…
We will become like what we behold. Greg Beale observes: “God has made humans to reflect him, but if they do not commit themselves to him, they will not reflect him but something else. . . . We either reflect the Creator or something in creation.” In other words, it’s in our nature to bear the image…
The story of Jesus temptation is more than a story that teaches us how to overcome the temptation to sin. It is the story that sin has been overcome. Today’s text provides help for the believer’s journey in sanctification. However, it’s primary purpose is to help the believer to understand what was necessary…