Bethany Baptist Church, Lubbock, TX

Christians don’t gather on Easter merely to remember that Jesus died; we gather because He died and rose again. If He only died, He might be admired or respected, but if He rose, He must be believed, worshiped, and obeyed. On that first resurrection morning, no one expected Him to be alive. The women came with spices, the disciples were confused, and the world assumed the story was over. But heave...

Most of us pray when we still feel strong, when the situation seems manageable, and the answer feels close. But there comes a time when our strength runs out, and the weight is too much to carry alone. In these moments, James reminds us that God never intended us to walk through weakness by ourselves. True maturity isn’t shown by handling everything alone, but by knowing when to ask others to pray...

There are certain subjects people tend to avoid, topics that make us uncomfortable, like blood. Yet in Scripture, blood is not peripheral; it is central to God’s message of salvation. Hebrews 9:22 tells us plainly, “…without shedding of blood is no remission.” This confronts us with two truths we often try to soften: God’s holiness and the seriousness of our sin. The repeated sacrifices of the Old...

Ever been frustrated when something suddenly stops your progress, a broken gas pump, a frozen screen, bad directions, or unclear instructions? You’re moving forward, and then everything halts. Spiritually, life can feel the same way. Just when things start to grow and God is moving, something steps in to disrupt it. That’s exactly what we see in Ezra chapter 4: momentum, purpose, and then oppositi...

There are many believers today who feel stuck, no longer moving forward, no longer growing, the momentum they once had now gone. The problem is comparison. Comparison always pulls us in the wrong direction. It either fills us with pride or leaves us discouraged, and neither one leads to spiritual growth. Instead of building momentum, it quietly brings everything to a stop. “For we dare not make ou...

Why do we support Israel? These are the questions that the world is asking. Further, these are questions that many who claim to be Bible believing Christians are asking. The message tonight is designed to answer these and many other questions. Most people in defense or defiance of support for Israel point to Genesis 12:1-3. “Now the Lord had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from t...

In the stillness of the night, a warning siren demands a response because danger is real and near. In the same way, God called Hosea to sound the trumpet, not to frighten without reason, but to mercifully warn a people who had turned from Him. Israel’s sin was not hidden, and judgment was not random; it was standing at the door. Yet even in that moment, the sounding of the trumpet was grace, a fin...

In our modern world, many relationships are defined by contracts, agreements that outline expectations and obligations. But the Bible describes God’s relationship with His people differently. God established a covenant, a binding relationship built on promise and faithfulness. “Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? yea, they may forget, y...

Paul reminds us that the office of pastor is not a title to be admired but a work to be carried out. When churches forget the weight of that calling, and when pastors drift from the character God requires, trust erodes and the church suffers. That is why passages like 1 Timothy 3 matter so deeply. They remind us that this office is a noble work that requires faithfulness, humility, and a life that...

Someone once said, “Patience is what you admire in the driver behind you, but not in the one in front of you.” Prayer can be much the same. We believe in it, talk about it, and teach it, but when pressure comes, it is not always our first response. Too often, we treat prayer like a last resort instead of a daily lifeline. Yet, as James closes his letter, he reminds us that prayer belongs in every...

That is why Hebrews 7 matters. God is speaking to people who know the truth but are growing weary. Instead of telling them to try harder, He points them to a Person. The question is not whether you can hold on to God, but whether your Savior lives. Hebrews 7:25 answers with a powerful truth: Christ is able to save to the uttermost those who come to God by Him because He ever lives to make interces...

Bro. Joshua Marquardt answers the biblical question, How Shall They Hear? with his four point outline: The Sobering Need for the Gospel v1-7; The Simplicity of the Gospel v4-13; The Sending of the Gospel v14-15; & finally, The Shunned Gospel v16-21.

Have you ever noticed that when someone feels the need to say, “I swear I’m telling the truth,” it usually reveals a problem? When words require reinforcement, it is often because they do not normally carry much weight. That is exactly what James addresses in our text this evening. He is not speaking about profanity, but about the habit of adding extra words to make themselves believable. His mess...

When life begins to shake through hard news, financial strain, broken trust, or quiet anxiety in the night, we all reach for something to steady ourselves. The question is not if we will grab hold of something, but what we will grab. Even sincere believers can cling to control, distraction, or busyness instead of the One who truly holds us firm. In this passage, God graciously gives us something s...

When it comes to biblical teaching on the role of women in the church, there is danger on every side. We are not here to win arguments or fight cultural battles, but to hear God’s Word and submit ourselves to it. This passage has stirred controversy, clashed with modern expectations, and been distorted by personal preference, yet it remains the revealed mind of the Holy Spirit. Some of its words a...

There is something inside all of us that changes when we realize we are being watched. We straighten up. We adjust our behavior. We become aware. Yet so often, we live as though no one sees what happens in the quiet moments, the private thoughts, the hidden compromises, the secret sins. In 2 Samuel 11, we find a powerful reminder through the life of David that nothing escapes God’s eyes. What seem...

All scars have a story attached to them. Some are physical, and we can explain every detail of how they happened. Others are emotional and physiological, unseen, but just as real. “Scars explain where you’ve been. They don’t decide where you’re going.” - Anonymous When facing past scars, you have two paths. You can allow them to debilitate you, producing bitterness, numbness, or fear. Or you can a...

When John G. Paton announced his mission to a South Pacific island known for cannibalism, a concerned elder warned him, “You will be eaten!” Paton famously replied that it mattered little whether he was consumed by cannibals or by worms, so long as he served the Lord. Despite facing the tragic loss of his family and constant threats to his life, Paton’s persistence eventually transformed the islan...