Grace Baptist Fellowship: Recent Episodes
Knowing Christ: More Than You Ever Imagined Dr. Dan Olinger GBF Growth Class 2025 Part 2 of our upcoming series on Christology.
Our emphasis in 2024 is to take the next steps in our walk with Jesus. This Sunday we check in to see how we are progressing in becoming more like Jesus.
Phil Hunt, ministering in Zambia challenges us at GBF to continue to make disciples. Phil's challenge to us will encourage your heart-
Romans 9-26-27 wraps up Paul's answer to the unbelieving Jews as to their rejection of their Messiah. Even though they have rejected Christ, God's word is faithful and He is Just. His sovereign choice was to use Israel to bring about the Christ. It was God's prerogative to show His mercy as well as His hardening to those who would self-harden to accomplish His will. His desire and plan was fulfilled in that salvation is open to all those who would come in faith -- both Jew and Gentile.
Paul highlights the power and mercy of God in His choosing of Israel to bring about the promised Messiah.
The introduction to a short series from the book of the Revelation dealing with the messages to the churches.
Mary responds to the news of her Savior's birth in personal humility and exaltation of God.---For with God nothing is impossible.-
We are focusing on Zacharius and his wife, a couple who lived their lives loving God - serving his office well. He shows his reverence by expressing fear when entering the holy place. An angelic being appears to him - shares an overwhelming message about the future. Zacharius expresses doubt because of the how unusual it is but that's no excuse for doubting God. Contrast this w-the faith shown by Mary - Abraham when God shares unusual news w-them. Notice v.37 -nothing's impossible w-God.- v.57-65 we see the child's significant role expressed in his name - the choosing process. Everyone knew about it because it was monumental. 1-Praise for Salvation Provided -from enemies-v67. 2-Praise God for Promises Fulfilled. 71-73. 2 Sam 17. preserving from enemies, blessings. Even if they're not in our lifetime, they will be fulfilled. 3- Praise God for the Purpose Revealed. v74-75. Zacharius struggles w-fear but also understanding the purpose of the promise. God still offers purpose today to His followers just like the purposes He offered to his followers in O.T. times. God made His purpose clear in his word- Live holy, w-o fear. We are rescued-redeemed to serve our God. He's fulfilled promises to give us confidence to trust Him. 4-Praise for the Prophecy of the Preparer v.76-77 John gets the designation of Prophet of the Most High. He is tasked w-giving people the knowledge of God's salvation. He must have been an odd person because he was so purpose driven in his life that he didn't have time for distractions. He was too focused on preaching repentance. Is.9-2 Jesus brings the most important peace, spiritual-internal peace w-God. Are you praising God- Are we living in - by faith-
God sees everyone and everything everywhere. This is both comforting - disconcerting. He is omniscient. But not only does God know us, He knows about even the smallest sparrow plus He's named all the stars in the heaven. Since God has a handle on time He knows what will happen in the future. He also sees everywhere. A few examples include Hagar, who was out in the middle of nowhere, and Nathaniel who Jesus saw miles away under a fig tree. Although we ought to be impressed w-God's omniscience that's not why He reveals Himself to us. He does it so that we can also learn. He shows us that He's big and knows everything so we can know that He is able to help us in times of need. We can take comfort knowing that He hears everything because God will listen attentively to our prayers. He's a father waiting for us to ask for help because He knows we will cry out in times of need. God wants to show Himself a compassionate father. He's also aware of all circumstances everywhere. NOTHING SURPRISES GOD. This means He's aware of our weakness - is aware of our sin. This should be a deterrent to temptation. This is a safeguard to keep us on the path. Is. 40-28 God never tires of knowing us - taking care of us. He -gets it-. This is all for our good, growth, - gain. 1- Practice Trusting God. He is looking for ways to catch us following Him. 2- Call out to God in Prayer About Anything - Everything. He remembers that we're dust. He's huge to help you. 3- Trust God's plan for your life, Especially Today. 4- Strive for Purity.
Jesus teaches His disciples that it's the object of your faith, not the amount. Often our problems stem from us putting our faith in others, not God. He also tells His followers not to doubt. Don't let the wavering nature of the heart over take your confidence in God. He uses the radical example of moving a mountain to show how serious Jesus is. Commentators debate if Jesus is referring to a physical mountain or to something in your life that seems impossible to us. While God promises the disciples that whatsoever they ask of Him in prayer they will receive. God promises to answer the prayers of those who abides in Him-John 15-7-- who keep His commandments-1 John 3-22-- not looking for an answer to please ourselves-James 4-3-- who has forgiven others who have offended us-Matthew 6-15-- according to God's will-1 John 5-13-15-. As we pray w-in those parameters, we have to pray in faith believing-Hebrews 11-6-. Don't doubt God's ability. This may be the toughest lesson we have to learn. Doubt multiples troubles into overwhelming problems. Just because God doesn't answer in our time line doesn't negate His ability. Satan introduced doubt in the garden to bring down Adam - Eve. Rehearse to yourself what makes God great when you face doubt. So how is your prayer life- Run through the check list. Be open to God - be ready for Him to peal back the layers. Consider partnering w-a prayer partner. For each other - for the needs of the body.
This Sunday I reviewed our Mission at GBF and talked about the opportunities God has given to us. I also asked the question, -What can you use as a platform for the Gospel-----sp
The suffering considered here is the suffering from our sin. It doesn't have to be permanent. When we confess, He graciously forgives-
The work of the Holy Spirit, the work of God, and the open hearts of people that were brought into a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.
As we say goodbye to our graduates, a passage for all of us as we face opportunities, challenges and even adversity in our lives.
We are commanded not to sin, but when we do sin, Christ our advocate becomes the propitiation for our sin.
No sacred texts, no real founders. Generally a well-to do congregation. Many early thought leaders they follow. They followed parts of the Bible early on but rejected parts of it in deference to man's logic. As time went on they began to slide toward humanism and merge w-universalits. They follow 7 main principles. 1.- Inherent worth - dignity of every person. Everyone came from evolution w-a rejection of original sin - sin nature. 2.- Justice - compassion in human relations. 3.- Acceptance of one another - encouragement to spiritual growth in our congregation. Tolerate everyone except those who they deem as intolerant of others. Don't push your belief on anyone else. 4.- A free - responsible search for truth - meaning. Many are looking for inspirational sayings - teachings in many books. 5.- The right on conscience - the use of democratic process w-in our congregation - society - large. Very socially active. 6.- Goal of world community is world peace, justice for all. 7.- Respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we're a part of. Many reject a triune God, Jesus as the God-Man, and the exclusive aspects of the Bible. But Jesus is very exclusive - states very clearly that he is the ONLY way to God. Talking w-a UU takes many hours - requires prayer - an appeal to their logic of not everyone able to be right - the same time.
The joy of knowing the God of Light results in fellowship with Him, fellowship with other believers and cleansing of sin.----God is light, the uncreated light. God has always been and always will be. God is absolutely pure and just.
Understanding LDS beliefs and traditions while learning how to reach them with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
We often must ask ourselves Why regarding our motivation of our daily walk and lives for God. However, the question of Who a believer is must be settled before we seek to answer the question Why.----Sorry for the poor audio quality -- there was an equipment malfunction and we had to use an iPhone on the front row to record. -Actually surprised it turned out as well as it did. --
Paul is setting up to explain who are in Christ. Paul explains the transition from bondage to sin to freedom in Christ is a totally new way to live - mindset never before available to us. Paul wants us to understand God desires a relationship w-us on the same level as father-child but He also desires us to be glorified w-Him. -Prioritize God over Persecution, Prison, - Death for the sake of His name. -This is point 3 from earlier the morning sermon. Points 1-2 were prioritizing God 1st w-our possessions - our time-. Paul can back up his statements - this point because he endured many physical abuses for Christ's name sake. But Paul points out the list of sufferings here on earth are not worthy to be compared to the glory that's coming -heaven, rewards, BEING W-CHRIST, etc.- yet we compare them all the time. When put Christ as our top priority we have a future w-Him - the front of our mind all the time. Because Paul's focus was on eternal life he describes all the physical torture he went through as momentary - light. Our pains - discomforts are so big to us because we have our focus in the wrong place. God's work in the past give us the faith to trust Him to work in the future. Phil 1-20-21 Paul says he wants Christ to be exulted in his life regardless of circumstances or if his life is taken from him. Even though these lessons were learned very well by Paul, they weren't just for him. He wrote them down for a church that would also go through suffering and for us to learn the same lessons today w-o going through the exact same circumstances.
What do I learn about God- What do I learn about me- Paul uses terms of endearment when talking to the church while calling them to the grace of God. We see an example of joy flowing from their lives in the midst of trials. The church is admonished because they were willingly giving above - beyond what was expected of them. Their overflowing of generosity was the result of giving themselves to the Lord. The maturation of the believer involves a lot of adding. God keeps building in our lives. He compliments the church on their faith, knowledge, love, and diligence but reminds them to not let grace fall to the wayside. Paul reminds the church to look to Jesus as their example. Generous giving can only benefit you. No one's too poor not to give and to make giving easier grace is promised to all who give. Principle of Equality- - God provides for His people- - God's people provide for each other- - often God provides for His people through His people. So what did we learn about God- He provides, He cares about the growth in our lives and how much we should be growing, He can't be out given, He won't ask us to do anything that He hasn't provided for us and hasn't already set the example for us, He knows our exact needs. Turn these around and turn them into statements -I can trust God because He knows my specific needs-. What did we learn about ourselves- We have to be fully dependent on God, we're poor w-o God, don't hold on tightly to what God's given us, He expects us to take action w-what we're given, generosity's not a one time thing, we need God's grace, examine our motives, don't worry about what you don't have, don't compare giving amounts.
This chapter is set in the midst of an upheaval. Notice in vs. 3 the people are singing the song of Moses. This could be referring to either Ex 15 or Deut 32. 1.- Praise God because all that He does is amazing. Who's singing Moses song- The ones who are victorious over the Beast. They're the ones who were killed for refusing to bow to the Beast during Tribulation. They're singing a song of deliverance, salvation. God's salvation is amazing. Often we forget the awe of His power to save us. God's sovereignty doesn't allow anything to be out of control - any time throughout history. The latter part of Heb. 11 gives us a great example of what God's deliverance looks like. 2.- Praise God because all that He does is right. Our future never relies on the earthly leaders. If we start to fear the future then we've succumbed to the sing of unbelief. ALL that He does is right - true. We can always rest assured in those truths. 3.- Praise God because He is worthy. vs. 4. All will fear - revere our Heavenly Father because He is holy. It may not happen in our life times but since God's time table is not ours it will eventually happen. John's point is that everyone who sees God's works, acts, and greatness will fall flat on their face. For some it will be too late while others it will only confirm what they've believed all their lives. One day God will reveal all that's been hidden during our time on earth. One day all believers will gather around God's throne - sing His song of deliverance in our lives.
Nehemiah comes back from his time w-the king to see the people-city in spiritual - structural disarray because they were neglecting the spiritual priorities. 1 issue is intermarrying w-the native people of the land. 1 consequence is the children couldn't even speak the Jewish language. Nehemiah confront them bluntly w-anger because this practice is in direct violation of God's commandments from Lev. 20-2. God is a jealous God - will not have His people pursue another. 1 Kings 11-6-10 Nehemiah reminds the people that Solomon committed the very same sin which caused much suffering down through history. In v. 27 we see the people's short term memory how they forget so quickly that God delivered them from so much evil only for them to turn from Him - the book ends w-the people under judgement again. What can we learn from this passage today- 1- Identify the sin in your life. Be specific. Don't sugar coat the severity. This starts w-a serious prayer to God asking for His help to name the sin-s-. 2- Learn from past sins, - don't return to them. We all do it. We can't look down on others returning to worse sins than you because we all face different temptations but the sin we fall into is all just as evil. This means we have to learn from our past. 3- Be radical when removing-exercising sin from your life. Don't poke around the edges. Often times this is a painful process - first but heals over time. Romans 8-11-15-put to death the sins of the flesh-. 4- The longer sin isn't dealt w-,the more pain is caused. In this book we see sin causing families having to be split up. Often our loved ones are hurt the most. Since God's a holy God, you must painfully remove sin from your life.
Since God is a holy God we must not give sin a home. Often times we run into lives or things that end up in our homes uninvited. Other times we make room into our homes and our hearts to that which we shouldn't, sin. We believe the people mentioned in the passage are reading Deut. 23-3-6. The reading of scripture caused the Israelite's to obey - change for the better. It's recorded that Tobiah is invited into the ranks of Israel even though in previous passages he's proven to be an evil man. In fact, the elements of the Temple were put out of sight to make room for their enemy while Nehemiah was away. When he comes back, Nehemiah is not pleased - takes action against Tobiah. He threw his stuff out when Tobiah was away. Any cleansing that takes place must be meticulous. Lessons- 1.- We need to be able to recognize that sins you're inviting in your life. 2.- Identify the areas that sin is destroying your life. 3.- Be ruthless in throwing out the sin in your life. 4.- Cleanse your heart. 1 John 1-9 we have to acknowledge then confess our sin to God. 5.- Put the right things back in your heart that sin has removed. We know God is holy - we know we shouldn't allow sin in our hearts - lives but we still do it anyway. Thankfully God understands our weakness - gives His grace. How ruthless are you going to be in kicking out sin w-God's grace-
How do we know we're growing spiritually- What does loving one another look like- How do we tell when we're obeying God - how do we know when we're not- Application is where our uniqueness shines through the midst of our diversity. Obeying God - His commands takes conscious thought. Doing right in difficulty is not an easy thing. How do we learn to value others- It requires thought. Find ways to show others that you care. Here are a few ways- PHYSICAL - people who've been through an accident, surgery, etc. need help around the house, yard, etc. EMOTIONAL - everyone can use an ear to hear their problems, struggles, - victories. Be focused on cultivating quality relationships instead of trying to have a surface relationship w-more people than anyone else. Families need help w-childcare. Every parent can always use an extra hand around the house and w-the kids. Unity means treating everyone as - in the eyes of God. We all need prayer. Find specific needs to lift before God then remember those needs - follow up w-them. Just being there for people means a lot. LOVE - Don't practice hypocritical love looking for something in return for your love. Self-love's the natural state of man that we have to fight. Remind yourself that God died for you - saved you just as much as He did for everyone else. No relationship's too far gone that God can't fix it. Be willing to be vulnerable which is required to build relationships. Pray for yourself. ENCOURAGEMENT - Be concerned w-spiritual relationships. Many times you have to promote yourself before before earning any kind of influence but it required work for you to earn your voice. RESPECT - prepare to come to church nice. Reach out.
How are we supposed to engage in our culture------ Carefully----- Respectfully----- With God's Word----We must analyze how a religion -or cult- deals with the following issues------ Scripture--- Deity of Christ--- Justification -salvation-----Engaging Islam- Is Islam a religion of peace- Do Christianity and Islam teach the same thing- These questions are analyzed through the lens of scripture as the following attributes from each religion are presented-----1- The character of God in Islam and the character of God in Christianity----2- The character of the Koran and the character of the Bible----3- The character of doctrine in Christianity and Islam