Baptist City Blog

Proverbs 4:12

"When thou goest, thy steps shall not be straitened; and when thou runnest, thou shalt not stumble."

In Proverbs 4, Solomon is preparing his son to go live on his own. He reminded his son that his father also taught him the same things. He said in verses 3-4, "For I was my father's son, tender and only beloved in the sight of my mother. He taught me also..." Solomon stressed the importance of his son taking the same things his father taught him to let them guide him when he was on his own.

Read more »

1 Kings 1:26

"But me, even me thy servant, and Zadok the priest, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and thy servant Solomon, hath he not called."

When Adonijah presumptuously took the throne of Israel while David was still alive, it is astonishing to see how the people foolishly followed him. It is sad that though David was alive, Adonijah had a philosophy that his dad was too old to really lead and that he had better ideas for Israel. Beyond that fact, there were some definite symptoms that something was wrong. These symptoms should have been seen by all of Israel, but they blindly followed this foolish young man, and to the detriment of some. Let me show you the symptoms they should have seen.

Read more »

Psalm 103:8

"The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy."

Two of the greatest attributes of God are mercy and grace. If God were not merciful and gracious towards us, we would be in a heap of trouble. It is only God's mercy that keeps us from burning in Hell, and it is His grace that offered us salvation. Yet, the mercy and grace of God does not stop at salvation. When studying Psalm 103, you see that mercy and grace are constantly at work in our lives. Let me show you how they work and how you can use them in your personal life with others.

Read more »

Psalm 35:11

"False witnesses did rise up; they laid to my charge things that I knew not."

Everyone at some point in their life will be lied or gossiped about. It is never pleasant to be at the bad end of lies or gossip. Maybe you are going through a divorce and the lies being said about you are far from the truth. Maybe you are the recipient of church gossip that has assumed things about you that simply are not true. Maybe at the workplace someone said something about you that has put your job on the line. It really doesn't matter what the lies may be, they simply are not true and are destroying your name. Your first response is to retaliate and say things about the false witnesses that will expose them.

Read more »

Psalm 26:11

"But as for me, I will walk in mine integrity: redeem me, and be merciful unto me."

One of the most needed traits today is integrity. When you look at political leaders who say one thing on the campaign trail but do another thing once they are elected, you can see the need for integrity. When you see Christians who act and say one thing at church but are completely different when you see them out in the world, you can see the need for integrity. When you see our spiritual leaders say one thing from the pulpit but see their private life revealed in a negative manner, you can see the need for integrity.

Read more »

2 Samuel 18:18

"Now Absalom in his lifetime had taken and reared up for himself a pillar, which is in the king's dale: for he said, I have no son to keep my name in remembrance: and he called the pillar after his own name: and it is called unto this day, Absalom's place."

The name "Absalom" never brings positive thoughts to one's mind. Absalom was the son of King David. Here was a young man who had much potential, but many wrong attitudes and actions ruined that potential.

Read more »

Psalm 51:2

"Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin."

It is easy to pass over the time frame from David's sin with Bathsheba to the time when the Prophet Nathan approached him. Close to a year had passed from the time that David committed adultery to the time his sin was revealed, and in that one year sin had taken a toll on David. This is why David said, "Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin." David knew the affect of sin on his life, and he wanted them completely removed.

Read more »

2 Samuel 3:30

"So Joab and Abishai his brother slew Abner, because he had slain their brother Asahel at Gibeon in the battle."

One of the amazing things about David's reign is the men who helped him. Joab was one of those men who I'm sure that David would have considered a right-hand man. Joab was involved in David's life from the beginning. The Scriptures do not make it clear whether David and Joab were friends in their childhood, but it would not surprise me if they were.

Read more »

1 Samuel 30:6

"And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters: but David encouraged himself in the LORD his God."

One of the most dangerous times in life for many people is when grief has stricken someone. In times of grief many bad decisions have been made. In times of grief many relationships have been damaged. In times of grief many dreams have been quenched. If grief is dealt with in a positive manner, then your grief can be turned into victory.

Read more »

Psalm 52:1

"Why boastest thou thyself in mischief, O mighty man? the goodness of God endureth continually."

What once seemed to be a promising life had become a life of exile. After the victory over Goliath, David must have thought that brighter days were ahead. He even knew that he was going to be king someday, but that time when he was anointed must have seemed a distant past.

Read more »