Olivet Baptist Church

To be a Christian means that you have enemies. This was promised to us. But God also promises that we will not be overcome by enemies, but that He will give us final victory and cause our cup to overflow.  Pastor Kevin Craft

"We dread the unknown far above anything that we can see; a little noise in the dark will terrify, when even great dangers which are visible do not affright: the unknown, with its mystery and uncertainty often fills the heart with anxiety, if not with foreboding and gloom." This verse reminds us that we do not walk through this darkness like others do. Pastor Kevin Craft

DIY shows usually have a consistent following. At their best, these shows highlight how something was once put together, but then fell into disrepair, and then someone comes along and restores it to its former glory. In this verse, Psalm 23 tells us that the good shepherd restores our soul. Our souls can fall into disrepair and into dry and joyless times, but the Lord restores us. Pastor Kevin Cra...

It's not hard to get worn out. Whether that's from work or chores or relationships, life is often tiring. But in this passage, we see that the Good Shepherd gives rest and peace to His sheep. Pastor Kevin Craft

If you've ever memorized one chapter in the Bible, chances are that you memorized Psalm 23. It is a Psalm that applies to all of life. As we focus on verse 1, we think about what it means that God is our shepherd.  Pastor Kevin Craft

Jesus has now been resurrected, He has been exalted to King over the entire universe with all authority, and now He sends out His disciples with this commission to make disciples. Pastor Kevin Craft

When an unstoppable force meets an immovable object, what happens? There were many ways that Jesus was opposed in this passage, but none of those oppositions was able to stop Jesus. Jesus has power over everything and and the plan of God cannot be stopped. Pastor Kevin Craft

It's natural for people to want a leader who will do exactly what they want, a Savior who will meet their every desire. But Jesus shows us what it really means to be the Messiah King, and He is rejected for it. But He trusts in God and is not rejected by God so that we would not be rejected by God.  Pastor Kevin Craft

Contrasts can help us see things clearly. Knowing what is wrong can help us see what is right, knowing what is right can help us see what is wrong. This passage gives us two sets of contrasts - the contrast between Jesus and Peter facing the risk of death and the contrast between Peter and Judas facing the burden of guilt. Pastor Kevin Craft

Jesus is omniscient, and yet when we read the gospels we more often see the emphasis that He knew the Scriptures. And it is that example that we follow as we seek to know the will of God and hold to the will of God, being strengthened by prayer.  Pastor Kevin Craft

In order to know what is new, it helps to compare it to what is old. We do that in all areas of life - that's how we even define the word "new." Jesus does that in this passage as He institutes the Lord's Supper. He is introducing the New Covenant and compares it to the Old Covenant at the Passover meal. And in all of that, He focuses on His death. That is what we remember in the Lord's Supper. Pa...

There are at least 2 types of magnification. A microscope takes an object that is truly small and makes it look big. A telescope takes an object that is truly massive and gives us a little better glimpse of how spectacular it is. It is this second type of magnification that the Bible talks about when it says to magnify the Lord. This passage has both types of magnification, and they lead to very d...

At the end, Jesus will sit on His throne and judge, separated everyone into two groups. The criteria that this passage talks about is rather surprising, given the other verses which talk about our eternal destiny. Pastor Kevin Craft

The most important thing for a disciple of Jesus is not knowing exactly when Jesus will come back, but being ready for when He does return. In this passage, Jesus hammers home the necessity of being ready and gives illustrations to His disciples about how to be ready for His return. This sermon also explores biblical evidence for and against the idea of a rapture.  Pastor Kevin Craft

When we are saved, God transfers our citizenship from darkness to the kingdom of Jesus. That has implications for how we are supposed to live right now on earth. First and foremost, it means we are supposed to be holy. It also has implications for how we interact with government. Pastor Kevin Craft

When will the temple be destroyed? When will Jesus return? When will be the end of the age? These are the three questions that the disciples ask Jesus. This is an often debated passage regarding the timeline of history. But when we start with what we know, then we are more able to understand the more complex things that Jesus is teaching.  Pastor Kevin Craft

There are many guides, but not many fathers. A father does more than just pass on information. They are committed, examples, and will admonish when necessary. This is true not only for physical fathers, but even more so for spiritual fathers. God has given spiritual fathers to help carry on the role of discipleship.  Pastor Kevin Craft

We can find just about any kind of preaching or writing about the Bible through a quick google search. But in an age of so much information, how are we supposed to filter through it all? What kind of Bible teacher should we be listening to? Pastor Kevin Craft

There is more than one way to ask the question "Why." There can be genuine curiosity, or you can ask it because you don't really agree with what someone else has said. In this passage, we read 4 questions. And as each of them are answered, there are riches of truth that can be learned if one will receive it.  Pastor Kevin Craft

As Moses hears God from the burning bush, the identity of God becomes more important than how Moses views Himself.  Guest Preacher Reagan Berry

Jesus continues to clarify who the people of God are. It is not about ethnicity or knowledge - the Pharisees after all won't be a part of the kingdom. Rather it is what one believes about Jesus, and a faith that produces works.  Pastor Kevin Craft

When we're having a bad day, and someone says something insensitive, we tend to not be very gracious in response. When we go through trials from the hand of God, it may not be instinctive to draw near to God. But Hannah does both of these, pointing us to the good path that God has laid for Christians.  Pastor Kevin Craft

We often view the ultra-rich as being above the rules. They can hire the best lawyers, fund the politicians, and literally pay people to agree with them. While we would be right to view that as a misuse of authority, sometimes we view God in the same way as money - He is there to promote us and make us successful in what we are doing. But when we put our agenda first and not God's, Jesus says that...

Guest Preacher David Dishong

More than once in John 20 the question is asked, "Where is Jesus?" The answer to that question matters is now and forever, for our souls and for our actions. Pastor Kevin Craft