Rejoice in the Lord...Always!

Advent begins today, December 1st, and goes through Christmas Eve. It is a time when we prepare for Jesus coming. In John 3:1-18, Jesus has a conversation with a man of the Pharisees, Nicodemus, and explains who He is and why He has come. Jesus refers to Old Testament passages, such as in Leviticus 16, that explain atonement through sacrificing animals. Jesus came to Earth to provide a permanent a...

Ephesians 2:1-10 and 19-22 This lesson in the Bible is one that I would choose to teach if it was the last sermon I could give. By God's grace we are all able to be saved. Made in God's image, we have been given a way to enter eternity with Jesus Christ. This is a gift better than any other that we can find on this earth. All believers are offered this wonderful gift from our gracious God...

. . . How Brightly is Your Light Shining? In Matthew 5:14-16 , Jesus reminds us that we are the light of the world and a light that should lead others to Christ. All believers should avoid any appearances of evil and should live a life that does not bring reproach on the name of Jesus. What we truly believe is shown by how we live with clean hands and pure hearts. God gives us guard rails and the...

Baptism and the Lord's Table - 2 Symbols of a Beautiful Picture . . . Water is an important symbol from God. We are people of the water. In the beginning, God created water. Baptism is a symbol of our union with Jesus Christ. Our transformation takes place with baptism. Under the water we die to our old person and are raised to a new person. The bread represents Christ's body and the cup H...

I am a little under the weather this morning so this sermon is brief, but I consider it to be a message that we need every day. Written around AD 60, the Disciple John sets it straight and confirms that Jesus is God. John explains WHO Jesus is, WHY He came, and WHAT it means. In John 1:1, we learn that the WORD is Jesus. In Verse 14, he reminds us that the WORD became flesh and dwelt among us. Ver...

The Bible is the very WORD of God. The Bible is not just a suggestion. Baptists believe the Bible is truly the Word of God. Inspired by God, written by the Holy Spirit, without error, and the facts are accurate. It consists of 66 books (Genesis through Revelations), has been preserved throughout about 1,500 years of history, and was written by 40 special men with various backgrounds. The Bible is...

At Old New Hope Baptist Church, we are "A Bible Believing Church". We have a page on our website (OUR BELIEFS) that gives a summary. But today, I will begin a series to explain what you will find in a true Southern Baptist congregation. Spiritual guidance is found in the Holy Bible. In this introduction sermon, I will discuss our unique attitude toward scripture, our unique doctrinal pos...

2 Kings 2:1-18 . . . . Live right now as if it is your last day to live. Pray, read the Bible, and tell others about Jesus. We come to the end of Elijah's life of service to the Lord when he is taken up to heaven. Elisha is to take on the role of Elijah and carry on the work he learned from his teacher. The two of them were very close and Elisha stayed with Elijah to the very end. The Lord use...

. . . 2 Kings:1-14 . . . We are living in difficult times, but God calls us to keep moving forward in our faith. Elijah was old and ready to go up to God. He was going to travel and told Elisha not to follow him. However, Elisha was determined to stay with him. Even though old, Elijah was still doing God's. Did you know that you are never too old to work for God? Be a new creature (Christian)...

Today we have our Homecoming Service with Bro. Tommy Hugins from Mt. Zion Baptist Church and with special music by Mt. Zion Trio. We have all been a prodigal child some time and strayed from our faith. But, when the spirit touches us, God always brings us back. Our Father God always looks for His child to return to Him, the ultimate Homecoming. We have many blessings and they all come from God. Le...

Where Can I Go? . . . 2 Kings 1 . . . Our world is a mess! Where do we go from here? Idol worship is useless. Elijah gives a message to King Ahaziah that he will die if he does not turn back to the God of Israel. Many of the king's soldiers tried to capture Elijah, but they were all consumed by fire. Ahaziah's world was in a mess. God judged King Ahaziah and he died because he refused to w...

. . . You Can't Outsmart God! . . . I Kings 22 Many people do not want to hear the truth when it isn't what they want to hear. Trust in God gives us hope and confidence. Here are ten things I want you to consider in your walk with the Lord. God's counsel is crucial. Beware of false prophets. Stand firm in truth. God is sovereign over everything and everybody. Disobedience brings conseq...

The Bill Always Comes Due . . . 1st Kings 21:1-29 . . . . Sometimes what seems to be a great offer turns out to be a terrible deal. Naboth refused to give his inheritance to Ahab. This really upset Ahab. So, Jezebel decided to take action against Naboth. Having him wrongly accused of blaspheme, he was stoned to death. The Lord sent Elijah to Ahab to tell him of his punishment for such an evil act....

"The Bill Always Comes Due" . . . . 1st Kings 21:1-3 . . . Our heritage is important. In Chapter 21 of 1st Kings , we learn the story in which Naboth, Jezebel, and Ahab are the main characters. Ahab wanted to negotiate with Naboth for a piece of land next to the palace. This land had been in Naboth's family for many years as a family heritage and blessing. Naboth had to make a choice...

. . . . The Joy Of Discipleship . . . . 1 Kings 19:1-19 are verses that tell how Elijah adopted Elisha to be his disciple and successor prophet. Elijah needed help and he needed hope. He worried that there would be not followers of God even though there were around 7,000 in Israel who did not follow Baal. So, Elisha stopped what he was doing and gave up his life of wealth to continue the work of G...

......What Are You Doing Here? . . . . . In 1 Kings 19:1-18 we find Elijah in a bad place mentally and spiritually after his confrontation with Jezebel. He is discouraged, paralyzed by fear, isolated, and feels like a victim. His life was full of drama. To help him get out of that mood, an angel of the Lord gave him food and drink then sent him to Mt. Horeb (about 40 days away). That's how God...

....... 1 Kings 19:1-5 ......When Life Throws a Curveball...... In our study of the prophet Elijah, we find that he was like us in his humility, heroism, and humanity. Depression affected him like it sometimes affects us. As a result, he runs away, gives up his fight for God, and is ready to die. This happens to many people at times. We cut off from others, feel sorry for ourselves, and give up ho...

.....Elijah, Ahab, and Obadiah......Continuing our study of Elijah in 1 Kings 18:20-40 , we find the question, "Who is God? The TRUE God?" They would learn that Baal was NOT a true god. When Elijah issued a challenge to the followers of Baal to prove their god they tried several times, but came up empty. When Elijah asked the Lord God to show they His power, He did and they were amazed....

2 Timothy 1:5 ........This verse, written by Paul to Timothy, is about the importance of mothers and grandmothers. Paul understands the role that they play in the faith development of every child. Sincere Christ-followers stand out. They focus on family first and teach their children about God's word and pass on to them the ministry of serving. Although it can be a challenge, mothers and grand...

What to Do When the Bottom Drops Out.....1 Kings 17:17-24 .........For about three years God provided Elijah, the woman, and her son with food and drink when there was no rain. Then her son became deathly ill and she blamed it on her previous sins. Elijah prayed over the boy to be revived and God answered his prayers. Crisis averted. But, don't we all experience a crisis sometimes? It can happ...

1 Kings 17:8-16 - From the Wilderness to the Widow ........In earlier verses, we learned that Elijah was a man who followed God's instructions. This was during a time when there was no rain so there was little food or water. God sent him to another city to seek a widowed Gentile woman who was down to her last meal and preparing to die along with her son. When she did as Elijah told her, the th...

1 Kings 17:1-7 " From the Palace to the Wilderness" ........Continuing our study of Elijah, we learn in First Kings Chapter 17 Verses 1-7 about being "THERE". Elijah was a just like us. He knew that God is alive, that we are God's representatives, and we believe in God's power and word. But, do we believe God's Word? Do we seek God's kingdom first? (see Matthew...

First Kings 13 - Introduction to the Life Of Elijah ........In the Old Testament, we see that the people of God were historically seeking a king. Elijah was a prophet for King Ahab at a time when the king's wife, Jezebel, convinced the king to worship Baal, a Canaanite god . They were often persuaded to worship various gods by different kings. Elijah reminds them that the God of Israel was alw...

In James 5:13-15 and 16-20 he tells us about the need for prayer. If you are Suffering, pray; Joyful, sing; Sick, ask the church to help through prayers. God will hear your prayers of faith. Confess your faults to one another and pray for each other. Walk in righteousness. Jesus will help you. Keep praying effectively, fervently, and persistently. Be a prayer warrior.

James 4:13-5:6 .........God is sovereign and we are not. He rules and is in charge. God has a plan. He blesses us so we can be a blessing to others. Life is short and eternity is long. Be sure the ladders we are climbing and the portfolio we are building will get us to our desired destination. What adjustments do you need to make?