Dwight Moody gave a candid look into the reality of Satan working in our lives when he said, “I believe Satan to exist for two reasons: first, the Bible says so; and second, I’ve done business with him.” If Christians are not careful, we can become immune to the idea of Satan and His Power and overlook the challenges he brings to our lives today.
Read MoreTonight was “singing night” at the local congregation where we attend. About once a month, we gather together to focus on singing songs of praise in worship to God, giving us a chance to learn songs that we may not normally sing, and allow for those who normally do not lead singing to be able to join in as a part of their service to God - whereas other times they may not have opportunity. As we were singing, i was reminded of a verse that may be overlooked in the idea of what our God wants in worship to Him.
Read MoreOne of the key concepts in the book of Habakkuk is God’s use of the nations. In the Book of Habakkuk, we are shown how God would use the Chaldeans to subdue and punish His wayward people. The concept of God using the nations to teach His people a lesson is found throughout the Bible.
Read MoreRead More"But, beloved, we are confident of better things concerning you, yes, things that accompany salvation, though we speak in this manner." Hebrews 6:9
A final step in the plan of salvation that is overlooked by many is the act of baptism. While many in our religious world would agree that a person needs to believe, repent, and confess Jesus as Lord to be saved, they would not teach that a person must be baptized to be saved. Let’s notice what the Bible teaches us about the necessity of being baptized to be saved.
Read MoreI received a video in an email a few weeks ago. It was from the man in the picture’s grandfather-in-law, He had reached out to tell us about his granddaughter’s husband watching one of the episodes on baptism that has been airing throughout October and November.
Read MoreHow do outsiders feel in our assemblies? A new assembly and a new type of worship is intimidating. Do we realize our visitors have taken a great step of courage to walk into worship?
Read MoreThe fourth step in God’s plan of salvation is confession. The Apostle Paul reminded the Roman Christians that “with the heart, one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth, confession is made unto salvation” (Rom. 10:10). From this text it is evident that confession is an important part of the plan of salvation. Let’s take just a moment to see exactly what the Bible teaches about confession.
Read MoreIn life, we all face some pretty tall mountains. There are hardships in family, detriment in finances, work may change for us in a moment’s notice. Health may turn south in the least appropriate times (if there ever is one). But…as a Christian, I know that I have hope!
Read MoreWhat Must I do to be Saved? {Part 3}
The third step in God’s plan of salvation is repentance. In Luke 13:3 Jesus expressed the necessity of repentance when He said, “Unless you repent you shall all likewise perish.” Peter preached to the Jews that they needed to repent and be converted so that their sins might be blotted out (Acts 3:19). Since repentance is such an important step in the plan of salvation, let’s examine what the Bible teaches about repentance.
Read MoreI was recently tasked with preparing a lesson for the Middle Tennessee School of Preaching on the subject of the churches listed in 1 Peter 1:1. This is one of the very few times that several of these churches are even mentioned in the Bible. For context sake, here is the passage:
Read MoreThere is nothing more important in the entire world than our eternal soul. Jesus said, “What will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses his own soul” (Mark 8:36-37). God has made it possible for all people to be saved and live the best life (1 Timothy 2:4, John 10:10). Since this is the case we must ask the question, “What must I do to be saved?” In our last post, we noticed the first step in God’s plan of salvation was to hear/listen to God’s Word. Today, let’s look at the second step in God’s plan of salvation.
Read MoreWhat? Someone stealing from a thief? Well, sort of. But it may not be what you are thinking. This thief was not being robbed of valuables at gun point, pilfered through a bank account, or even burglarized at home…many people are still stealing from him, and its something that you might not be imagining just yet…keep reading.
Read Morehe Bible says that our Lord and Savior came to seek and save the lost (Luke 19:10). If we are honest with ourselves, we realize that Jesus came to seek and save every one of us. God says, “All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:23). Scripture teaches us that our sins separate us from Him and cause spiritual death (Isa. 59:1-2, Rom. 6:23). The good news is that God does not want anyone to be lost. He wants all people to be saved (1 Tim. 2:4)
Read MoreA very dear friend of mine, wonderful preacher, licensed therapist, and brother in Christ, Lonnie Jones used a statement some years ago in a lesson designed to reach younger souls that has stuck with me ever since…and I think it is just as valuable to us “older” folks as well and maybe you will agree. Here is the phrase:
Read MoreYou must decide which you want…is it what you want most, or what you want right now.
“Death & Life Are in the Power of the Tongue” (Prov. 18:21). “Watch your words & Hold Your Tongue; You’ll save yourself a lot of grief” (Prov. 21:23, The Message Paraphrase)
Read MoreOftentimes, we hear this particular statement relating to assembling to worship together. Unfortunately, it has also been used to alleviate the idea that we need to worship TOGETHER as a group of like-minded individuals as the church. So…was Jesus wrong in stating this? Well, we must look at the context of the verse to see why it really doesn’t mean what some may think that it means! Study along…
Read MoreA while back I did a topical study of the Book of Proverbs that I thought was a very helpful way to study this Book. Here is the first lesson in that series on Anger.
Read MoreThe Kind of Preaching You Should Expect
Those who preach the gospel of Christ don’t get to decide what kind of preaching is acceptable. As the apostle Paul’s life was nearing the end, he gave Timothy instructions that guide us on what kind of preaching we should expect from those who proclaim God’s Word.
Read MoreTheir journeys to the baptistry both began as young as 8 and 9 years old. You see both became denominational Christians at those ages. Their hearts were sincere with belief and they did exactly the steps they were told. Fast forward, they are married and continue following the traditions that they were raised in, the Southern Baptist Church.
Read More
![What Must I do to be Saved? [Part 2] - Ben Bailey](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/594fb7e68419c2c567203702/1695927091405-WRRVOB8V7ZA16C79UCRF/image-asset.jpeg)
