Baptist City Blog

Geneaology can be exciting!

Listen to one of the most delightful speakers you have ever heard, speaking on chapel at Hyles-Anderson College. This man, Dr. Pete Cowling has an earned Phd from Georgia Tech was a tenured professor at the University of Tennessee and for many years been a professor at Hyles-Anderson College. He is one of the most beloved persons at the college and at First Baptist Church. You will love listening to this short sermon. He will have you laughing, thinking and under conviction. He makes science and the Bible come alive!

Download 2015-12-09_Pete_Cowling_Christs_Genealogy.mp3

You Need Preaching

Ezra 5:1

“Then the prophets, Haggai the prophet, and Zechariah the son of Iddo, prophesied unto the Jews that were in Judah and Jerusalem in the name of the God of Israel, even unto them.”

Every time I read this passage of Scripture, my heart is stirred because of the power that preaching had on the rebuilding of the temple. Most of my life has been about traveling and preaching in churches to help stir God’s people for revival. It is very evident that preaching was the key to the building of the temple and the wall. When you read the Book of Ezra, you see there were four results of preaching that you need in your life if you are going to live the successful Christian life.

Discerning the Wise Heart

Proverbs 23:15

“My son, if thine heart be wise, my heart shall rejoice, even mine.”

Every parent’s desire and concern for their child is that they turn out to be a wise person. Parents hope that their children are listening to their instruction and look for signs that they understand what they were taught. Trying to discern if your child has a wise heart is easily perceived if you know what you are looking for.

Choosing the Wrong Example

2 Chronicles 33:22

“But he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, as did Manasseh his father: for Amon sacrificed unto all the carved images which Manasseh his father had made, and served them;”

The verse above is a sad commentary of Amon. Amon chose to follow the wrong example that his father set in sacrificing to carved images. This wasn't the only example that Amon had to follow because Manasseh got right with God and removed the strange gods and idols out of the temple. Amon saw what the LORD did to his father when he sacrificed to the false gods, and he also saw how God was intreated for his father after his prayer of repentance. Sadly, instead of choosing the right positions and actions of his father, he chose to follow the wrong example of his father’s weakness.

Guide to Determining Action

2 Chronicles 31:20

“And thus did Hezekiah throughout all Judah, and wrought that which was good and right and truth before the LORD his God.”

If I told you that I have a guide that it would always help you to make the right decisions, you would do anything to get your hands on that guide if you had a heart for God. There are many Christians who want to do right, but they face situations where they oftentimes don't know what to do. The verse above is that guide. You can see that there were three prerequisites that Hezekiah followed in determining his actions.

Bible Thoughts by Terry Hedderman

Monday, 11/30/15 Ps 58:1, Do you indeed speak righteousness, O congregation? do ye judge uprightly, O ye sons of men? Yea, in heart, ye work wickedness... Maybe you’re not as good as you like to think you are...maybe you need to look deeper. Are you “through and through” holy? honest? forgiving? Notice God’s instructions concerning confession. Lev 26:40-41, If they shall confess their iniquity, and the iniquity of their fathers, with their trespass which they trespassed against me, and that also they have walked contrary to me; and that I also have walked contrary to them...if then their...hearts be humbled, and they then accept the punishment of their iniquity: then will I remember my covenant... Maybe if we’d “do it right” and make confession a bigger, “more painful” deal, we’d sin less. ‘Just a thought...

A World All His Own

Remember to check out Christmas at Baptist City where you will also find the sermons for the week of 12/06/15.

How David Kept from Fainting
He Lives in a World All His Own
The Song of Mary
The Need of the Resurrection

Enjoy!

Protecting a Child’s Influences

2 Chronicles 23:11

“Then they brought out the king's son, and put upon him the crown, and gave him the testimony, and made him king. And Jehoiada and his sons anointed him, and said, God save the king.”

Before they ever put the crown on Joash’s head, several levels of protection had to be set up to protect him from Athaliah who wanted him dead. Jehoiada the priest understood that it was God’s will for Joash to keep the throne in Judah, so he risked his life and set up several levels of protection to keep this young child safe until the time that he was capable of ruling on the throne of Judah.

Self-Inflicted Trouble

2 Chronicles 15:3

“Now for a long season Israel hath been without the true God, and without a teaching priest, and without law.”

Many of the troubles experienced in life are self-inflicted. Yes, we have troubles that come because of others, but many of our troubles could be averted if we didn't inflict them upon ourselves. The amazing part about self-inflicted troubles is that they are all a result of bad decisions. If we avoided bad decisions, we could avoid self-inflicted troubles.

Don’t Break the Mold

2 Chronicles 10:4

“Thy father made our yoke grievous: now therefore ease thou somewhat the grievous servitude of thy father, and his heavy yoke that he put upon us, and we will serve thee.”

Everything has a pattern or mold that is used to replicate what was originally produced. When I was a young boy, I remember taking a mold that made plaster ornaments and pouring the ingredients into it. It was important that we took care of those molds because they were the pattern by which we made the ornaments we desired. If we broke the mold, we no longer were able to replicate what we wanted.