McKernan Baptist Church Podcast

On this first Sunday of the new year, we return to our journey through Isaiah. We'll move ahead to the latter section of the book that speaks to hope, beginning with today's passage that prophetically addresses those who would find themselves in exile, lamenting their failure and wondering if their guilt had placed them beyond the restoration of God. (Lam. 1:2; 5:20-22)

On this last Sunday of 2020, we will take time to look back on the past year and ahead to the new year, considering how God may be asking us to focus our attention as we move forward. A number of our pastoral staff will share a word or concept that God has impressed on their hearts as they enter 2021. The Race Car: https://i.redd.it/skkeozks22e31.jpg

Merry Christmas from McKernan Baptist Church

On this fourth Sunday of Advent, we will return to Isaiah's prophecy about Christ's coming and focus on what it means to see Jesus as Prince of Peace. When we look at the state of the world and often the state of our own troubled souls, we can be left thinking that this peace is entirely elusive. The kind of peace Christ's promised coming offers is represented in Hebrew using the word "Shalom," wh...

Isaiah 9:3 On this third Sunday of Advent, we will return to Isaiah's prophecy about Christ's coming and focus on a verse we typically overlook (Is. 9:3), which speaks to the joy that Christ's coming will ultimately make available. This joy is about an inner sense of "buoyancy" or soul satisfaction (Psalm 19:8, Prov. 15:30) that comes from God (Ps. 86:4, Neh. 8:10,12, Gal. 5:22).

On this second Sunday of Advent, we will look at how the prophesied name of Jesus, "Everlasting Father" (Is. 9:6), is a powerful declaration of God's love for us.

On this first Sunday of Advent, we will explore how Isaiah prophesied the coming of hope into a world that was in deep distress and hopelessness. We often look at this familiar prophecy, "For unto us a Child is born..." without seeing the darkness of its context.

Pastor Mike and the worship band lead us through a blue Christmas service. Just a heads-up, the volume will be much louder for the music, and quieter when Pastor Mike is speaking.

BEYOND THE CHAOS, EVEN IN CHAOTIC TIMES

As we continue our journey through Isaiah, we arrive at a point in Jerusalem's history when they faced a significant military challenge. Rather than turn to God and His way forward, King Ahaz opted for what he saw as the more obvious and immediate way out.

Nov. 1, 2020 - BEYOND AN INADEQUATE VIEW OF GOD (pt. 2)

Beyond an Inadequate View of God

Pastor Dan Our Father, we remember today our sisters and brothers who are being persecuted. Today, we declare your loving character. We declare that You love each individual person on this tiny planet, You see each heart, and You hear each cry and prayer. We know from Your Word that You are near to the brokenhearted, and as people of faith, we are brokenhearted over the persecution, over the confl...

Pastor Dan Our Father, we remember today our sisters and brothers who are being persecuted. Today, we declare your loving character. We declare that You love each individual person on this tiny planet, You see each heart, and You hear each cry and prayer. We know from Your Word that You are near to the brokenhearted, and as people of faith, we are brokenhearted over the persecution, over the confl...

Oct. 11, 2020 - BEYOND OUR PERCEPTIONS OF "WHAT IS NOT" TO LIVES OF GRATITUDE FOR "WHAT IS"

Oct. 4, 2020 - BEYOND HOPELESSNESS

As we continue in our theme "Beyond," our journey through Isaiah brings us to a passage where the prophet presents a tale of two cities: the current Jerusalem in all its sinful despair and the prophesied, restored Jerusalem in all its majestic[NV1] glory.

As we continue in our theme "Beyond," we come today to a passage in which Isaiah confronts God's people to move beyond their empty religious practices toward giving themselves in true surrender to a real relationship with God.

Today we launch our 2020-21 ministry theme, "Beyond." We'll focus on the many ways God calls us beyond life as defined by humanity apart from Him. In settling for far less than life as God intends, we give ourselves to pursuits that were never designed to satisfy our souls or build a just and loving society.

Today we conclude a series of sermons looking at examples of "disruption" in the Bible by addressing the issue of disunity. We live in days that are full of conflict that often gets stuck in polarizing disunity. In Acts 15 we are given an example of a conflict with very negative potential that was addressed in a godly manner, with the result being an effective way forward. (vs. 31-33)

Today we continue a series of sermons looking at examples of "disruption" in the Bible. Paul faced a lingering disruption in the form of something he referred to as a "thorn in the flesh." While we don't know the exact nature of this "thorn," we do know it was something that plagued him over an extended period of time.

SOME DISRUPTIONS ARE JUST WHAT WE NEED

WHEN TOMORROW'S WORRY DISRUPTS TODAY'S JOY

This very well-known parable has been called The Prodigal Son, The Running Father and even The Apathetic Brother. Today we'll look at how Jesus uses the story to allow His listeners to evaluate their life and embrace the Jesus way of life.`

1 Peter 1:3-9 What does the term "living hope" mean in your life today? How is your hope alive right now? How does it need to be renewed by Jesus? When and how has your faith been strengthened by difficulty? What was the result in you? They say hindsight is 20/20. Look back on your story. Where has God been at work when you weren't aware of it at the time? How can that anchor your future hope? In...