Bethel Baptist Church

Originally Presented: Nov 9th, 2008 Scripture Reading: Romans 13:11-14 As yet another implication of our great salvation in Jesus Christ. Romans 13:11-14 calls us to purity of life.  We are commanded in this passage to lay aside the deeds of darkness and to put on the armor of light (Rom 13:12).  Some of the deeds of darkness are cited in verse 13 … carousing (wild partying), drunkenness, sexual p...

Scripture Reading: Ecclesiastes 12:1-8 Solomon mentions death several times in Ecclesiastes, but in the final chapter of the book he focuses on death at some length. His thesis comes first, in verse 1. "Remember also your Creator in the days of your youth, before the evil days come, and the years draw near of which you will say, 'I have no pleasure in them.'" Most of the verses in this passage des...

Originally Presented: October 26th, 2008   Scripture Reading: Romans 13:1-10 In Romans 13, Paul continues drawing out some of the implications of Christianity.  In the first seven verses of the chapter he introduces a new topic, namely the obligation Christians have to be subservient and obedient to their government.  The general command is found in Romans 13:1.  "Let every person be in subjection...

  Scripture Reading: Ecclesiastes 9:1-12 After citing some of the seeming inequities of life (Ecc 8:14) and repeating his observation that God's designs for human life are often impossible to determine (Ecc 8:17), Solomon draws some conclusions. Though life is often painful, righteous people (i.e. people of faith) know the security of being in the hand of God (Ecc 9:1).  In a more general sense, a...

Originally Presented: September 7th, 2008 Scripture Reading: Romans 13:1-7 In Romans 13, Paul continues drawing out, in very practical terms, some of the implications of Christianity.  In the first seven verses of the chapter he introduces a new topic, namely the obligation Christians have to be subservient and obedient to their government. The general command is found in Romans 13:1.  "Let every...

Scripture Reading: Ecclesiastes 7;8,9; 7:21,22; 10:12-14 We live in a day of excess in which passion and ego reign supreme.  The commonness of lawsuits is evidence enough that people are increasingly demanding of their rights and "a financial settlement will do just fine … thank you very much." For the Christian there is quite another way to live.  A Christian's life should be characterized, not b...

Originally Presented: August 24th, 2008   Romans 12:15-16 In the very practical section of exhortations found in Romans 12:9-21, we are given helpful direction as to how to think about other people (and ourselves) and how to treat them in a variety of circumstances.  In Romans 12:15 we find the command: "Rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep."               Such rejoicing req...

Scripture Reading: Ecclesiastes 5:1-7 The old saying warns, "Familiarity breeds contempt." When it comes to worshipping the Almighty, we might say, "Familiarity breeds casualness." Whereas we were once filled with zeal and delight and anticipation when it came to Sunday gatherings at our church, these same gatherings can easily become routine and lifeless. In Ecclesiastes 5, Solomon addresses our...

Originally Presented: August 17th, 2008 Scripture Reading: Romans 12:14-21 This passage in Romans goes against our natural (and sinful) response to people who wrong us.  Our knee-jerk reaction to people who slander us or harm us in some way is to retaliate.  Children retaliate by hitting the offender.  In most cases adults retaliate by silence, withdrawal, gossip, withholding help or withholding c...

Scripture Reading: Ecclesiastes 4:1-12 Ecclesiastes 4 is partly about the struggle between people. We must not forget that Solomon's father was David and, for all his achievements, there had been much strife in David's life and family. Solomon had seen the tragic results of pride and ambition and how they not only destroy lives, but relationships. Man's inhumanity to man was more than obvious to S...

Originally Presented: August 10th, 2008 Scripture Reading: Romans 12:9-15 The subject of Romans 12:13 is money, or more specifically, a sharing of what we have with other Christians who have material needs.  This verse is not talking about visiting someone in the hospital to soothe an emotional need, nor is this talking about offering someone helpful advice to render wisdom regarding a marital ten...

Profound questions naturally arise in the face of events like the global spread of the coronavirus. Why does God allow such a disease and why doesn't He stop it, since He is omnipotent? Could He … would He … have designed such an event? Though answers to every question certainly cannot be given, the Bible does give us insight into why God allows and even decrees horrible, painful things in His cre...

Originally Presented: July 27th, 2008 Scripture Reading: Romans 12:12 There are several references in the gospels to the fact that Jesus spent time in prayer.  Luke 5:16 indicates that as a regular course of action Jesus slipped away from the crowds, which always seemed to be around, to pray. The account of the feeding of the 5,000 recounts that the day preceding that miracle was filled with activ...

With regard to the global pandemic, it seems that we should be asking what role God has in all this. What is He thinking about it? What is He doing about this? Is the Creator only a spectator … a passive Observer, simply watching, while this unfolds? … or is He somehow involved in what is going on? If God is in charge of His creation, how is He in charge? In what way is God in charge? What are the...

Originally Presented: July 20th, 2008 Scripture Reading: Romans 12:11-12 Continuing his series of practical exhortations concerning the way a Christian should live his life, Paul mentions zeal … "not lagging behind in diligence, fervent in spirit" (Rom 12:11).  The life of a Christian is not a life of ease and laziness.  To be a follower of Christ requires passion and vigilance.  Christ cannot be...

Scripture Reading: Ecclesiastes 11:1-6 Under normal circumstances, we often bemoan Monday morning with the lament, "Now I have to go back to work." Solomon has a fuller, encouraging word about the nature of work. He has in mind all kinds of work … not just the labor for which someone is paid. Work, he says, is a source of joy and meaning. Ecclesiastes 5:19 reminds us that work is a gift from God....

Originally Presented: July 13th, 2008 Scripture Reading: Romans 12:9-10 It is accurate to say, "Christianity is something we are ."  To be a Christian is to possess the objective standing of being righteous before God by virtue of our being in Christ by faith.  So it is true that Christianity is something we are, but it is equally true that Christianity is something we do .  We must make the conne...

Scripture Reading: Ecclesiastes 5:10-12

Originally Presented: July 6th, 2008 Scripture Reading: Romans 12:3-8 There are four main passages in the New Testament in which spiritual gifts are mentioned:  Romans 12:6-8; 1 Corinthians 12:4-11, 28-31; Ephesians 4:7-16; 1 Peter 4:10,11.  A  spiritual gift is a God-given ability to be used for service to Him in the church.  (Note: all natural abilities, e.g. physical strength, musical aptitude,...

Scripture Reading: Ecclesiastes 8:1-9 Ecclesiastes 8:1 is something of a theme verse for the several verses which follow. A wise person lives life well. He understands issues because he possesses an ability to discern matters clearly. His eyes flash intelligence. Solomon says that you can almost see his wisdom in his face. Ecclesiastes 8:2-8 describe what this wisdom looks like in life situations....

Originally Presented: June 29th, 2008 Scripture Reading: Romans 12:3-5 It is interesting and significant that immediately after speaking of Christians being transformed by the renewing of their minds (Rom 12:2), Paul makes reference to pride.  "For through the grace given to me I say to every man among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound...

Scripture Reading: Ecclesiastes 7:1-6 In the first few verses of Ecclesiastes 7, Solomon makes some statements that sound like the polar opposite of what we usually think. "The day of death is better than the day of birth" (Ecc 7:1) . . . "It is better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting" (Ecc 7:2) . . . "Sorrow is better than laughter" (Ecc 7:3) . . . "The heart of...

Originally Presented: June 22nd, 2008 Scripture Reading: Romans 12:1-2 After urging us to present our bodies as living sacrifices to God as our "service of worship," in Romans 12:1, Paul goes on to describe for us the means of obeying that command.  The root of a holy life is a holy mind … a mind that has been transformed by the Holy Spirit.  To experience such a transformation, we must break away...

Scripture Reading: Ephesians 1:15-23 The point being made in Ephesians 1:20-23 is straightforward enough. Having risen from the dead, Jesus has been exalted as head over all things. Conquering death itself, He now rules as sovereign over all authorities, seated at the right hand of God the Father. He reigns, not only now, but forever and leads His church as its regal and tender head. It is the con...

Originally Presented: June 15th, 2008 Scripture Reading: Romans 12:1-2 These verses in Romans are something of an introduction to the section of the book which contains practical implications drawn from the glorious realities of the gospel of Jesus Christ.  Since Christians have experienced the soul-changing power of God in conversion, there are definite ramifications for living which reflect the...