FBC Independence Podcast

While a student in 'Preacher School' many years ago, a guest speaker said something that we young preachers were very pleased to hear. In a sermon dealing with personal devotion, he said, with great conviction, this statement: "God will never use someone who has sin in their lives." We almost cheered! We were young and enthusiastic and often encountered people struggling in their battle against si...

Have you ever noticed that many Bible stories contain great ‘life lessons?’     I am beginning a series of messages about how God uses people to do great things. The list is long, of course, of great stories in the Bible, and many of the stories have a ‘star’ in the center: a man or woman of faith who responded to God’s call in a time of crisis. I began with the story of Noah and the great flood....

Just last week, I attended one of my grandson’s basketball games – it was sheer joy! My grandson is a tall boy for seven years and talks a big game when the subject of basketball comes up.    He just knows he’s going to be a big star when he grows up and that his height will be a major plus for him. (His father is 6’7”, so he has a good idea that he will be very tall when grown).    After hearing...

For the last few weeks, I’ve spoken about ‘Scary Church;’ these churches failed their members by not teaching them proper biblical teachings and practices and not leading them in the past of discipleship. These were ‘scary churches’ because the Christians were either uninterested or incapable of sharing their faith and representing their faith in the presence of others!                  Today, tho...

Several years ago, I mentioned in a sermon that I liked to keep old service manuals for all my vehicles. I used them often and wanted to keep them in case another similar vehicle needed service. I mentioned this fact in a sermon because I likened the Bible to a ‘service’ manual for living the Christian life. We needed to read and study it and, at times, go over it word-for-word to help us ‘fix’ a...

I had a conversation with a young mother recently that gave me pause.  The young woman, a successful entrepreneur and mother, expressed her concern about her two young children, ages 3 and 10. They were bright, healthy, and seemed okay but had no interest in school, reading, or books. They played on their electronic devices for hours at a time and were doing "ok" in their classes at school. Her co...

We always want everyone to be happy – especially in the Christmas season!   We hope and pray that people are healthy, that no families will experience the loss of loved ones or accidents during this time of celebration, that children, especially, receive gifts that give them joy, and that they will be safe and secure with their families.   We want that to be the case – but it does not always happe...

I guess my two youngest grandchildren said it best when asked what Christmas is all about: “Christmas is all about Jesus, and Santa Claus and decorations, and presents. And then, screaming while jumping up and down and with big smiles on their faces, ‘Christmas is about presents!’”             For a lot of us, the idea of presents seems to dominate most of our thoughts and actions during the Chris...

When I was a fresh-faced kid in our local Boy Scout troop, my first camp-out came in early December. The leaders told us to "be prepared," so to me, that meant wearing a coat, bringing gloves, and buying the cheapest sleeping bag I could find. What a mistake!          That weekend's weather turned freezing, with a light covering of snow on top. I was freezing and found comfort only when standing b...

I am sure you have noticed how people act when ‘someone special’ walks into the room; it is something to see! This has recently been demonstrated as the wildly popular singer Taylor Swift has made a few appearances during Kansas City Chiefs football games. Swift, as you probably know, has been dating a Chiefs player, Travis Kelce, and has appeared at several of his games. She has been seen with Tr...

I recently purchased a pickup from an individual in a neighboring community, and all went well. I took a test drive, looked over the vehicle, agreed on a price, and shook hands on the purchase. Then, after I had made the necessary financial arrangements, we signed papers, filled out forms, and transferred the cash from my hands to his. All in all, it was a good process, and everybody won.    He de...

When I was a very young child, I would guess I was 7-8 years old; I heard my preacher say in a sermon, "If you're going to be the Christian God wants you to be, you have to stand on the Word of God." I thought that sounded good, even though I was not a Christian yet. I took that statement to mean that the Bible was very important and that there was something magical about 'standing on the Bible.'...

Season of Gratitude as told by Pastor Dave   The best way to support our Ministry is by sharing these podcasts with your friends and family.   We also need your financial contributions to make our Ministries a possibility. You can contribute online at https://firstbaptistofindependence.aware3.net/give/   If you would like to stay up to date on all things FBC, download our App by clicking here http...

Pastor Dave subs in for Rev Kev to discuss Acts 9, From Saul to Paul.   You can best support our Ministry by sharing these podcasts with your friends and family.   We also need your financial contributions to make our Ministries a possibility. You can contribute online at https://firstbaptistofindependence.aware3.net/give/   If you would like to stay up to date on all things FBC, download our App...

Have you ever tried to figure out what someone was like? Not in physical appearance, of course – but who they are, or what sort of character is within them? Several years ago, I talked about one of my good friends from college, and my sister’s ears perked up. She asked various questions, such as ‘How tall is he,’ or ‘What color is his hair?’ And then she turned to my wife-then-girlfriend and asked...

The other day, I heard the story of the old hymn, "I Have Decided to Follow Jesus." It has always been one of my favorite hymns and has a ring of truth to the lyrics. The story of the hymn was powerful, as told by a missionary in Africa. A chief of a tribe called out a man from his tribe who was telling people about Jesus, and he wanted him to stop! He threatened the man to reject his faith, and h...

I watched a recent news report on the ongoing political controversies in our nation's capitals, and one analyst gave his opinion. The following is not a quotation but gives the gist of his comments: "It is all about power. Political power and the power to get things done the way you want them done. That is the simple explanation of what is happening."    Power! It is an essential element of everyt...

Several years ago, I attended a worship service at a large Pentecostal church in Kansas City, Mo. My friend had attended there, and had invited me to go with her. We went, and honestly, it was a real eye-opener for me! We stood up and sang for well over a half-an-hour, and twice the songs were stopped so we could all ‘pray,’ meaning that it was time for us to ‘speak in tongues.’ I had never partic...

I heard a woman named ‘Wanda’ tell her story – a powerful testimony of her faith in God helping her through a very difficult life!             Wanda was abandoned as a young child and grew up angry and rebellious. She lived a miserable existence, lived the life of a drug addict and alcoholic, and ended up pregnant and by herself by the time she was 19. She admitted she was miserable and alone and...

The father took his son to the WWII memorial, hoping to teach him something about the world. The boy was not interested in history, but the father thought it might be a good trip. They looked at the different clothes and uniforms, the tanks and trucks and motorcycles, and pictures of everything. It was fascinating! Even the little boy seemed to enjoy the day. One of the displays had to do with the...

Several years ago, a good friend, a Deacon of a church in the Ozarks, told of a woman in his congregation struggling to provide for the needs of her several children. The Church had previously helped her family and was familiar with her situation. During a ‘special offering’ drive over Christmas, a plea was made in Church for offerings for the poor in other parts of the world. People gave differen...

The story’s title captured my attention: “Love Means Reporting Back to Duty.” Written several years ago, the article told the story of Captain David Rozelle, who lost a part of his leg in battle in Iraq. He wasn’t sure how his life was going to work out. Still, after a year of surgeries and rehabilitation and being fitted and trained with a prosthetic foot and ankle, he was declared “fit for duty....

God gifted King Solomon with great wisdom. He pursued pleasure, wealth, knowledge, and accomplishment for meaning. By the end, through wise reflection, he learned that all good things are from God and should be used for His will & glory.   You can best support our Ministry by sharing these podcasts with your friends and family.   We also need your financial contributions to make our Ministries a p...

Wisdom comes in all forms – sometimes it is very ‘academic’ in nature, focusing upon something you can know and understand, and sometimes it requires almost no ‘book smarts’! Wisdom is not just something you can ‘know,’ sometimes wisdom is something you ‘do.’  For instance, you can understand human biology and sexuality and even grasp something of the tension between the races; but that may not me...

A few years ago, a national survey asked respondents several questions regarding how they felt about Christians and the Church.    Unfortunately, the opinions of many were quite negative!  91% said Christianity had an anti-gay image. 87% said it was too judgmental. 85% claimed that the Church and Christians were hypocritical.    The report was hard to read because the results were so negative. The...