Advancing Word Podcast

The Gospel of Matthew Chapter Twenty-Eight, verses 18 – 20 is commonly known as The Great Commission.  It is Jesus’s culminating critique of Judaism’s encrusted tradition and narrow exclusivism.  These verses occur only here in the New Testament.   They are moving and momentous reminders that the Risen Lord has placed a NO PARKING sign in the very heart of the Church’s mission.  This sermon tells...

In the Upper Room, shortly before his arrest and trial, Jesus speaks of the horrific death He faces as if it was a celebration.  With love and deep affection, He encourages the disciples who remained after Judas exited to finalize his betrayal.  In verses 34 – 35 of Chapter 13 of the Gospel of John, Jesus shares a new commandment with the disciples.   His timeless teaching answers the question, “W...

Chapter Fifty-Three of the prophecy of Isaiah is one of the most compelling chapters in the entire Bible.  The prophet looks down the corridors of the centuries and sees the ministry of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, the Messiah of Jewish expectation.  His sacrificial and substitutionary death is the price of our pardon.  According to this sermon, the price Jesus paid was high, it was heavy, an...

In Matthew 16:13-20, Jesus faces growing opposition.  He begins speaking openly about His death and resurrection.  He transforms this setting into a teachable moment and reveals what happens when He builds the church.  This sermon explores the construction site!

We do not know who wrote Psalm 100.  The anonymous author pushed through doubt, disillusionment, desperation, disappointment and arrived at a place where, in a magnificent, melodic and moving anthem of praise and thanksgiving, he affirmed that God is good!  In stanza five, he tells us why.    God is good because of His exalted essence, matchless mercy and amazing availability.  

In Chapter Seventeen of First Kings, verses 1 – 9, at an obscure and rocky ravine east of the Jordan River, the prophet Elijah began his stay in an “inconvenient hotel”.  By any standards, his accommodations there would have received a 1 Star rating.  But during drought conditions in a country permeated with shameless idolatry and base moral degeneracy, God made sure he received 5 Star service!  

During the 2022 Commencement Service at the Zion Hill Baptist Religious Institute and Seminary, in Dayton, OH, Dr. Stubblefield reminds the graduates that they are “chosen for change.”  Based on 1 Peter 3:15-16, this commission involves the adoration of a surpassing person, the activity of a singular purpose and the anticipation of a satisfying promise.  

This storm narrative is recorded here in the Gospel of Mark, Chapter 4 but in Matthew and Luke as well.  In context, it communicates Jesus’s dominion over not just the demonic or disease and dysfunction in the human body, but over the forces of nature.  In other words, when Jesus is a passenger in our lives, every storm we face has an expiration date.  There is a story in every storm!   

In Exodus 13:17-22, Moses and the children of Israel experience a new beginning.  God guided His people as they moved from captivity to Canaan.  Moses displays exemplary leadership skill during this period because he did not get ahead of God.  The principles in this text are relevant to us today because, like the Israelites, we face dangers we cannot discern, experience data we cannot dismiss and...

According to Colossians 1:17, Jesus is “before all things, and in Him all things hold together.”  This affirmation encouraged and strengthened believers who were being challenged by false teaching regarding the true nature of Christ.  Christians “live behind before” for Jesus Christ is our consummate covering, powerful protector and perfect provision.  

In 2 Chronicles, Chapter 7, King Solomon prays passionately in order to secure protection coverage for the people of God and the nation against perils of all kinds.  He wanted to assure God's favor in the event of any contingency or crisis they might face.  He recognized even in his own life the possibility of failure.  This message outlines the fix for a flawed faith revealed in this epic te...

In many homes in America, the voice of the father has been muffled, muted, maligned, misrepresented or gone missing altogether.  This reality is deeply damaging to the fabric of our society of which biblical marriage and family is the foundation and the father and husband is the chief cornerstone.  This deficiency and disparity impact negatively our churches and ministries as well.  In Luke 1:62-6...

In the Gospel of Mark, Chapter 10, verses 13 - 16, parents bring their children to Jesus.  He takes them into his arms and blesses them.  There is nothing more moving, meaningful or momentous for a parent or grandparent than believing that our children are safe in His arms.  In His presence, every child of God “backslides into the simplicity of childhood.”   

In Chapter 1, verse five of his first epistle, the Apostle Peter reminds persecuted Christians that they are “kept” by the power of God.  They were the bountiful beneficiaries of the very best in personal security.  Their experience of favor, exercise of faith and expectation of a glorious future in Jesus Christ was the basis of “an inheritance, incorruptible, and undefiled” that was reserved in h...

In Psalm 84, stanza six, the author mentions “the Valley of Baca”.  The Hebrew word translated “Baca” occurs only here in the Bible and means “weeping or sorrow.”  Whether an actual place or a symbol of the struggles of the spiritual life, this valley is unavoidable.  God uses our experiences there to advance us in His perfect plan.  It is not a detour but part of our destiny as children of God. ...

In Chapter 55, verses 1 - 3 of his prophecy, Isaiah shares one of the most compelling invitations in the Bible with the Jewish nation in exile.  At the heart of God’s everlasting covenant was a priceless provision for all people that was comprehensive and Christ-centered.  It is still today’s best value at yesterday’s low price.  

In a message during chapel at Missouri Baptist University, St. Louis in March 2022, Dr. Stubblefield reminds faculty, staff and students that we are “originals and not copies.”  Using Psalm 8 as the biblical focus, he emphasizes our duty, dignity and destiny as God’s children through creation and redemption. 

Authentic and life changing worship is costly!  The real issue is not how much you will get or gain but what are you willing to give to experience wonderful worship.  In 2 Samuel 24:18-25, King David shows us how.  His worship was compelling because it was not convenient or casual but costly.  

A woman who could quality as a poster child for “bad luck magazine” is driven into Jesus's presence because of a personal crisis.  Her faith will not allow her to settle for crumbs from the Lord's table because she believes she can have the crust.   

In Part 3 of the series, “The Economics of Grace,” Dr. Stubblefield returns to 2 Corinthians 8:9.  The last movement of this verse reveals how Jesus’s voluntary and willful sacrifice and His undeserved shame and suffering for a broken and sinful world is the basis of an unfathomable provision that offers to every child of God, new possibilities, new potential and new perspective.  

In the second message of the three-part series, “The Economics of Grace,” in 2 Corinthians 8:9, the Apostle Paul, to encourage the stewardship of the church at Corinth, offers Jesus as the supreme model of sacrificial giving.  Jesus experienced poverty so we might enjoy the riches of salvation that is in Him!  

In the first message of a three-part series based on 2 Corinthians 8:9, this message addresses the production, distribution and consumption of spiritual wealth.  Jesus became poor so we can experience the riches of His person.  He is rich in position, power and possessions.  We can never exhaust His provision.  

Our lives often resemble a roller coaster ride with peaks and valleys, highs and lows and sharp turns.  Whatever our struggle, this message based on the promise of 1 John 3:1-3 is a compelling reminder that the essence of the Christian faith is the hope that the best is yet to come. 

On Palm Sunday according to Luke Chapter 19, verses 36 – 40, Jesus entered Jerusalem riding on a donkey amidst the applause and acclaim of the crowds that had gathered.  When His enemies criticized the crowd’s response, Jesus said, “If they hold their peace the stones will cry out!”   This message explores what a stone would tell us about the Savior?  What is the story in the stones?

In the Gospel of Matthew, Chapter 9, the Jewish religion had become one massive huddle of religious rules, rituals and regulations.  Jesus saw the multitudes and was moved with compassion for them.  He saw them as sheep without a shepherd.  It was time to move from the huddle to the harvest. The church faces the same challenge today!