First Presbyterian Church (Dothan AL) Podcast

Pastor Rusty Milton 1 Kings 17:8-16 ESV "God's Universal Interest and Influence in the Believer's Life" God is always fathering us no matter where we are, and that includes when we pass through trials and tribulations. The providence of God touches all things that impact our lives. We see this play out in 1 Kings 17 when God sends Elijah to a gentile widow for provision. For El...

Pastor Rusty Milton "A Drought of Water and the Word" 1 Kings 17 ESV When we look at the world, and it seems our commander is not with us, does this mean God was caught off guard? No, God is working both grace and judgment through the presence of his word. In 1 Kings 17, God sends Elijah with a message to Ahab: no rain will fall for 3 1/2 years (vs. 1). At this time, Ahab and his wife, J...

12/27/2020 ​​​​​​​Pastor Rusty Milton "Embracing the Ordinary" Luke 1:26-38 ESV What prevents us from being used by God is our persistence to believe we must rely on our own abilities. This implies we believe we are either too ordinary to be of use for God, or that ministry is really about abilities, rather than the power of the Spirit. However, God loves to show extraordinary things thr...

12/24/2020 Pastor Rusty Milton Luke 1 ESV "Magnifying Christ" Christmas is about magnifying God for his faithfulness. We magnify God because he makes and keeps his promises (vv. 31-33), and we glorify God for his faithfulness (vv. 46-47). We can apply this to our daily lives by magnifying God's holiness, the greatness of his power, and the greatness of his mercy. Luke 1 English Stan...

Pastor Rusty Milton "The Humility of the Manger" Luke 2:8-14 ESV When God sent the Savior of man to earth to be born in a feed trough, he showed contempt for the pride of man. The whole framework of the gospel is designed to bring us to an end of our pride, and it starts with Christ born in a manger. Pride often wants to humble people by showing its greatness, and the smallness of others...

Pastor Rusty Milton "Preparing the Way" Luke 3:15-18; Isaiah 40; Acts 2; Luke 12:49-50 God always deals with sin by fire. In Luke 3, John the Baptist announces two gifts from the Lord: His Son, and His Spirit. Baptism is the mark of both. In Luke 3:16, we see John explaining the coming of the Holy Spirit as a baptism of the fire of purification, revealing our sin and drawing us toward re...

Pastor Rusty Milton "Emmanuel is God With Us" Matthew 1:18-23 ESV Isaiah 7:10-14 ESV God is God with us and is God for us. In Matthew 1 and Isaiah 7, God promises an incarnation: He would become man in order to keep His promise of an eternal kingdom to David. Emmanuel is simultaneously the sign of this promise being made and kept. This is directly applicable to us now: Emmanuel and his p...

Pastor Rusty Milton "Re-Canaanizing the Land" 1 Kings 16:29-34 ESV The heart is an idol factory, and the more we have of them, the less we are satisfied. Idols always work to turn your life away from grace and into a spiritual wilderness. In 1 Kings 16:29, we are introduced to Ahab, the new king of Israel. Rather than seeking contentment and fulfilment in God, we immediately see him seek...

Pastor Rusty Milton Luke 12:22-34 ESV "Overcoming Anxiety with the Fatherhood, Promises, and Providences of God." Where do you find your security? If in your own control over situations, you are on "un-Fathered" ground, and your anxieties will seek to control you. Moreover, you won't be able to show the glory of God because of your fear of messing up. Find your security in...

Pastor Rusty Milton 1 Kings 13:11-19 ESV The greatest challenge to the church comes from false prophets who tell you they are speaking for God. In 1 Kings 13:11, we see a false prophet lying to God's true prophet, and thus bringing about the death of the true prophet. When the false prophet hears the news of God's prophecy against Jeroboam and his false religion, he sends for the young p...

Pastor Rusty Milton 1 Kings 13:1-8 ESV "God's Response to Jeroboam's New Religion" We must look to the works of Christ, not the works of our flesh, to make us right with God. In 1 Kings 13, Jeroboam readies himself to begin worship ceremonies in his new temple when an unnamed prophet is sent by God to warn him of the consequences of false worship. Jeroboam responds with contemp...

9/13/20 Pastor Rusty Milton "A Turn of Affairs" 1 Kings 12 ESV Providence is God's performing his gracious purposes and promises to his people. Do we watch the events of the world through this lens, or through a man-centered lens? In 1 Kings 12, we read of Solomon's son, Rehoboam, ascending to the throne amidst a dissatisfied populace, still burdened under the heavy taxation an...

9/6/2020 Adam Comeens "He Remembers" Exodus 28:1-30 ESV Hebrews 4:14-16 ESV Despite our circumstances, we have an eternal high priest, Jesus Christ, who bears our sins and comforts us in our suffering. In Exodus 28:1-30, we read the description of Aaron's priestly garments; specifically, the ephod and breastplate. These both remind us of the work and person of Jesus.  The ephod can...

Pastor Rusty Milton Luke 16:13-17 ESV "A Divided Heart" We often separate our lives into the sacred and secular, but for the Christian, there is no such distinction. All is sacred. If we seek peace and security primarily in possessions, money, relationships, sports, or power, etc., they will possess and control us. In other words, when the heart is divided, your possessions will possess...

Pastor Rusty Milton “The Coming Gentiles” 1 King’s 10 ESV God‘s love for us is expressed in the king he has given. In first kings 10:1-3, we see the queen of Sheba coming to ask questions of king Solomon. Despite the long and arduous journey to Israel, we see her recognizing that time with the king was worth the journey. As believers, we have a similar choice to make. We all have a daily collision...

Pastor Rusty Milton 1 Samuel 17 ESV Your view of man must be full of the Living God and his covenant promises to you. In 1 Samuel 17, we see David encountering a fear-filled Israelite army, terrorized and berated by Goliath's God-slandering challenges. The army's collective fear of man led to inaction (vs. 4-7), while David's older brother's fear fueled his resentment and bitte...