Wisdom from the Book with Reverend Rook: Recent Episodes
genehole
Old sermons By Reverend Robert W. Rook (1935-2008) from his time as pastor of 1st Assembly of God in Seneca Falls, NY. Transferred from original cassette tape recordings made between 1988 and 1991.
Reading from Jude 20-21, an analysis of the character traits that define a godly man or woman.
Reading from Ecclesiastes 12:1, a message urging to put the pursuit of godly things first.
Reading from Numbers 13:21-30, an encouragement to stand on our faith in God to live victorious lives.
Reading from 2 Timothy 2:1-7, a message on the importance of sharing our faith with others, and especially the next generation.
Reading from I Corinthians 6:17-20, an admonition to believers to live thei lives with the knowledge that it is God to whom they belong.
Reading from Matthew 10:32-33, a message of encouragement of Christ's steadfast love for those who diligently serve him.
Reading from Psalm 63:1-8, a meditation on the longing each soul has for spiritual satisfaction that only can be satisfied by God.
Reading from Hosea 7:11-16, a word of warning for those who would flee from the will of God.
Reading from I Cor 3:18-23, a reminder of the bountiful spiritual blessings God has given to all believers.
Reading from Galatians 5, an examination of the meaning of "living in freedom" as Christians.
Reading from Colossians 3:3-4, a look at the transformation that takes place in the life of those who accept Christ.
Reading from Hebrews 6:13-20, a message on Christ as the source of our security in a world full of uncertainty.
Reading from Luke 15:11-24, a message drawn from the parable of the prodigal son. Preceded by a brief presentation by Rev. Rook's daughter Roberta.
A lesson Romans 12:3-9 an examination of the many members of the Body of Christ, their individual, unique functions, and how they should work in unison.
Reading from Zechariah 7:1-10, a message on the importance of how we deal with those around us.
Reading from Exodus 16:1-15, a communion message drawing parallels between the Manna given to Israel and the Bread of Life given to Christians.
Reading from Luke 9:57-62, a message on the importance of not putting off for tomorrow what should be done today.
Reading from John 6:26-31, a message examining the symbolism of bread in communion as it represents the body of Christ.
Reading from Philippians 4:1-7, an exhortation to find peace from our life's worries through prayer and praise to God.
Reading from Matthew 28:1-8 an Easter message expounding upon the gift of salvation that is the result of Christ's death & resurrection.
Reading from Matthew 21, a Palm Sunday message about the triumphant entry of Christ into Jerusalem and the week leading up to the Crucifixion.
Reading from Numbers 32:6, a challenge to the church to unite in their efforts toward evangelizing.
Reading from Deuteronomy 2:1-7, a message about following the God's lead both as individuals and corporately as the body of Christ.
Reading from Jeremiah 6:16, a reminder that new is not necessarily better, and that the truths of God's word, though old, are timeless.
Reading from Joshua 1:8, a lesson on the importance of knowing scripture as an integral part of a successful Christian life.
A message from Joshua 14:6-14, highlighting a famous example of a man who demonstrated faith in God, and examining how his example can be followed by believers today.
Reading from Leviticus 17:11 and Hebrews 9:22, a communion service examination of the significance of blood in the Gospel message.
Reading from I John 2:18-20, a message on the importance of knowing the Truth in an age filled with lies.
Reading from Genesis 35:1-7, a message to the church to return to a position of prayerfulness and seek God's presence.
Examining 4 places the Greek word "plerophoria" appears in the New Testement, a message about the "Blessed Assurance" we as believers can have that we belong to Christ.
Reading from Acts 27:9-25, a message of encouragement to place our hope in God's promises.
A communion message from I John 4:7-21, that our love for one another is derived from Christ's love for us.
A study from Philippians 1:19-26, examining the dichotomy between the Christian's desire to be ing heaven, and their calling to serve others while on earth.
Reading from Romans 15:1-5, an examination of the character traits of God that we are to emulate.
Reading from Isaiah 40:27-31, a message of encouragement to believers reminding us that God will give them strength when they are at their weakest.
Reading from Ezekiel 36:22-32, a message about the transformative power of God in the lives of those who submit themselves to Him.
Reading from I Corinthians 4:1-4, a lesson on some of the important principles that define a christian's understanding of stewardship.
Reading from Song of Solomon 5:9-16, and drawing an analogy between the adoration of a lover for their beloved to the kind of relationship a believer should have with Christ.
The conclusion of a study on James.
Note: there is a segment in which a congregant speaks briefly off-mic. some effort has been made to make that audible, but the results are of limited effectiveness, but it was deemed better to leave it in for context.
Also note: this sermon has no date listed with it. The sermon on the opposite side of the original tape is dated "5/7/1990 pm service," which would have been a Monday. based on the best guesswork and the dates on the other tapes from this time period, it is assumed to be a typographical error, but the exact chronological placement for it cannot be determined based on the available information.
Reading from Acts 4:1-14, a lesson on the importance of Godliness as a means of shining the light of Christ in a world of darkness.
The original tape is dated "5/7/1990 pm service," which would have been a monday. based on the best guesswork and the dates on the other tapes from this time period, it is assumed to be a typographical error, but the exact chronological placement for it cannot be determined based on the available information.
Reading from Genesis 28:10-16, a reminder that God does not forsake those whom he loves.
Reading from Ezekiel 22:23-30, a lesson on God's desire to find men who will be godly leaders in a depraved world.
Reading from Acts 2:37-47, an analysis of the biblical model of what the church should look like.
Beginning with I Thessalonians 5:23-24, an exploration of the many ways God uses to continually perfect the sanctification of the believers, and the role we have to play in that process.
Reading from I Peter 2:4-8, a message examining the many aspects of Christ that make him the "precious stone" described in the passage, and how we are to respond to that stone.
Ephesians 5:1-17, a message on the importance of following the path of Godliness and strive to be Christ-like.
A teaching from Philippians 3:20-21 & 4:5-6.
Technical note: audio on the original recording dropped out in 3 spots:
17:15 (43 seconds missing)
27:13 (1:28 seconds missing)
34:11 (20 seconds missing)
Reading from Mark 1:14-20, a message of the call to bring others to Christ. This message leads into a communion service.
NOTE: audio briefly cuts out 3 times on the original recording, but what remained was well worth preserving, so the gaps have been removed where they occur (9:00, 16:00, and 26:06).
A study from Exodus 30:17-21, examining the significance of the Laver made for the Tabernacle, and what lessons can be drawn from it for today's church.
Reading from Genesis 22:1-12, a message on the importance of surrendering all we hold dear as an act of faith.
Reading from Ephesians 6:10-19, an overview of the pieces that should comprise a Christian's Spiritual Armour.
Reading from Colossians 3:12-17 and II Corinthians 5:17, a message on the call for believers to love one another, and how God enables them to do it.
Reading from 2 Timothy 2: 15-21, an admonition to the church on steps that must be taken in order to be prepared to be used by God for His good work.
Reading from Romans 15:1-7, a message on the importance of living for God's pleasure and not our own.
A message on the importance of having God purify our thought and avoid unwholesome thinking. Key verse: Proverbs 23:7.
Reading from Genesis 22, an admonition to remember to submit everything we have to God, and place nothing before him.
Reading from Hebrews 1:1-4, a lesson on the way God worked through Christ to reveal his salvation to us.
Part of a series studying the book of James, picking up in 1:9 from a (missing) Wednesday night bible study.
Reading from Daniel 6, a message about remaining steadfast in faith in the face of adversity.
Beginning with a reading of Mark 9:2-9, this sermon ruminates on the topic of not living in spiritual highs of the past but moving forward to do the things we are called to do.
Reading from Luke 4:16 & Mark 6:5, a teaching on the phrase "Jesus Marvelled," and what it tells us about the importance of faith.
Reading from James 2:14-17, a lesson on the important relationship between faith and works.
Reading from Matthew 26:26-30. a communion message on the importance of gratitude for Christ's sacrifice.
Reading from John 16:19-24, a lesson on the importance on praying to make our requests known so our joy may be full.
Reading from Proverbs 4:20-27, a message about the importance of having clear spiritual vision, and look ahead to the future.
Reading from I Peter 2:3-5 about the three kinds of spiritual sacrifices Christians must make.
Reading from the 3 variants of the Great commission in Matthew 28:18-20, Mark 16:14-16, Luke 24:45-48, and Matthew 9:35, a lesson on Christians' call to go out and disciple others.
Reading from Romans 13:8-14, a message on the importance of living a life that is prepared for the imminent return of Christ for his church.
Reading from Matthew 21, a sermon on the importance of "now" faith. The tape cut off at end but there's plenty of meat to chew in the middle, including his personal witness to a testimony of healing.
Reading from Matthew 18:1-6, a lesson on the importance of being converted to become like a child to enter the kingdom of heaven.
A message from Matthew 6:22 and Luke 11:33-36, on the subject of keeping our eyes on the light of Christ. Unfortunately the end is cut off this one, but the meat of it is still there.
Speaking from Luke 18:18-30, a message about the "one thing" lacking in a Christian's life.
Reading from Revelation 1:1-6, a message about the Holy Spirit and seven major aspects of his work in us.
Reading from Ezra chapter 1, in which the Spirit stirred up Cyrus to rebuild the temple in Jerusalem.