Leftists love to believe that churches should be run like clubs — the majority rules. So they’ll make a big deal out of polls, like the? Pew Research Center? finding six of ten Catholics disagree with the church’s opposition to abortion. They do not ask self-identified Catholics whether they actually go to church on Sundays, or if […]The post NPR Praises Catholic Nun Who is Pushing Abortions Up to Birth appeared first on LifeNews.com.

? Temple Baptist Church - 5-5-20242 Corinthians 2:1-11? Introduction:? In these verses, we find the restoration of the fallen brother found in 1 Corinthians, chapter 5.? He got right with the Lord and was forgiven, but the church would not forgive him.? Paul did not want them to be ignorant of the danger of unforgiveness, one of Satan's devices.? A.? I want to continue to preach for a while on the subject of Ignorance.? My work as a pastor is to make sure that you are not ignorant, and your job is to make sure that you are not willfully ignorant!? We have the Word of God, so we are accountable to it.? 1.? Last week, we saw the ignorance of Israel concerning God's righteousness.? Romans 10:3-4? For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.? (4)? For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.? 2.? This morning, I want to start preaching on ignorance of Satan's Devices.? I am not sure how far that I will get this morning, but I am in no hurry because of the importance of what I am preaching so just hang in there.? B.? Lucifer is a powerful angel.? He is a God hater and therefore hates God's children.? Our Lord said that He was hated first, and that hatred would be passed on to us.? John 15:18-20? If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you.? (19)? If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.? (20)? Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also.? C.? I do not want to preach a series on Satanology or Angelogy (fallen angels) but, in order to understand the fallen angels, we must explore them within the context of Scriptures.? D.? Lucifer was a special angel, a defender of the holiness of God.? Lucifer tried to overthrow the throne of God to no avail and God said, “I will destroy thee, O covering cherub!”? ? Lucifer is a damned angel.? I want to look at a couple of very interesting verses:? E.? Hell was prepared for the Devil and his angels.? ? Ezekiel 28:18? Thou hast defiled thy sanctuaries by the multitude of thine iniquities, by the iniquity of thy traffick; therefore will? I bring forth a fire from the midst of thee, it shall devour thee, and I will bring thee to ashes upon the earth in the sight of all them that behold thee.? Matthew 25:41? Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed,? into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:? 1.? Satan is Determined.? He will never give up nor give an inch.? In his determination, he does not negotiate nor compromise.? 2.? Satan is Dangerous.? His ultimate goal is to destroy everything God created.? 3.? Satan is Deceptive.? In heaven, with God on His throne, Satan convinced 1/3 of the angels there to rebel.? And we think he cannot deceive us.? 4.? WE ARE NOT IGNORANT of his devices!? ? a)? He has used the same devices since he sinned against God in Isaiah 14 and Ezekiel 28!? ? b)? I used the phrase “willfully ignorant” last week because we all have seen what Satan through love of the world has done to people that we know!? ? 1)? He has destroyed their lives!? 2)? He has destroyed their families!? 3)? He has destroyed their health!? 4)? He has destroyed their testimonies!? 5)? He has destroyed their usefulness!? c)? Satan uses different Devices for different People.? We all have our strong points and weaknesses.? d)? Satan uses different Devices for different Purposes.? Sometimes, Satan attacks people and sometimes he attacks churches/governments, etc.? e)? Satan uses these same devices over and over.? Satan does the same thing the same way because it too often brings about the same results.? 1)? I love devices.? Gadgets, appliances, tools, machines, mechanisms, etc.? Devices are normally specific in their usage to get certain jobs done.? ? 2)? I love Harbor Freight.? They have a tool for about everything that you will ever need to get done.? I drop my wife off at Big Lots (female version of Harbor Freight) which is about three hundred feet away from Harbor Freight and tell her to “shop till you drop!”? 3)? Satan's Devices are designed for singular purposes.? They are not profound in their design.? They are quite simple but highly effective in their work. I have many tools in my workshop that I do not use often as these tools are made for specific jobs.? 4)? I said all that to say this, we can know and fully understand what Satan's Devices are doing and still allow them to work in our lives to the detriment of our spiritual condition and God's work!? F.? This morning, I want to look at Satan's Device of Division.? ? 1.? I would say that the subject of division is one that I preach on more than any else, and especially over the past few years as the coming of our Lord draws nigh.? ? 2.? Satan has pulled out all of the “stops” in his unending efforts to destroy the effectiveness of both families and the local church.? ? ? As goes the family, so goes the local church!? 3.? The pastor's nightmare!? Division!? We must not be ignorant of Satan's devices and one of his best is division.? ? G.? Families are falling apart and marriages no longer lasting.? Then there is the local church.? So many local churches are without a pastor.? Smite the shepherd and the sheep will scatter!? Some churches have “run the pastor off,” while in others, the pastor (it is always easy to blame the church rather than to blame oneself) ran himself off.? H.? Satan's Device of Division in the local church.? 1.? Sometimes, wicked people get in the church and divide.? 2.? More often, saved people get their priorities wrong and strive, one with another.? a)? Through Carnality? b)? Through Biblical Ignorance? c)? Through Willful Immaturity? d)? Through Satanic Influence? J.? It is imperative that we remain united and strong as the work of the Lord is of the utmost importance and only a unified body will be effective in reaching the lost.? This type of preaching is not a new thing, nor should it be a sporadic one.? It must be preached often with a no-nonsense approach.? Look in Acts 20:28-31 with me.? Acts 20:28-31 Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood. 29? For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. 30? Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them. 31? Therefore watch, and remember, that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears.? K.? The most important unit on the face of the earth other than the family is the local church.? Satan hates the local Church!? L.? Division can cause much damage to the local church by:? 1.? Division Destroys The Fellowship Of The Church.? (People sit on the pews of the church with malice and unforgiveness in their hearts.)? 2.? Division Destroys The Commission Of The Church.? (Missions have been damaged because of gaining a family and then loosing a family through spiritual nonsense!)? 3.? Division Destroys The Testimony Of The Church. (Church fights and splits have been detrimental to the prosperity of the church, both physically and financially.)? 4.? Division Destroys The Posterity Of The Church.? (Children both see and hear the ungodliness of the parents.? It affects their spirituality and, eventually, they are lost.? 5.? Division Destroys The Worship Of The Church.? (God and His Holy Spirit are grieved with this division and worship is neither holy nor acceptable.)? 6.? Division Destroys The Evangelism Of The Church.? (Instead of keeping our eyes upon the harvest and doing all that we can to win souls, our time is spent in bitterness and souls are lost.)? 7.? Division Hinders The Prayers Of The Saints.? (Malice and unforgiveness are sins and when we regard iniquity in our hearts, our prayers go unheard.)? M.? Division damages the individual believer.? 1.? It Will Divide You From The Pastor – Your Friend? 2.? It Will Divide You From The Pulpit – God's Message? 3.? It Will Divide You From The People – Your Brethren? 4.? It Will Divide You From The Peace Of God – Your Joy? 5.? It Will Divide You From The Place – God's House? 6.? It Will Divide You From The Purpose – God's Harvest? N.? How To Stop Division!? 1.? Always Give Others The Benefit Of The Doubt - 1 Corinthians 13:5? Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;? 2.? Learn To Forgive And To Forget - Ephesians 4:31-32? Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:? And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.? 3.? Beware Of The Root Of Bitterness -? Hebrews 12:15? Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled;? 4.? Keep Your Eye Focused Upon The Purpose - Philippians 1:27? ? Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel;? Philippians 3:16? Nevertheless, whereto we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us mind the same thing.? 5.? Esteem Others Better Than Self - Philippians 2:3? Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.? Philippians 2:1-4? ? If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies,? Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.? Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.? Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.? 6.? Learn To Keep Your Mouth Shut When There Is A Problem - Proverbs 6:16-19? These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him:? A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood,? An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief,? A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.

The Southern Baptist Convention remains an overwhelmingly conservative denomination, but new data suggests the people in the pews are more politically diverse than is commonly assumed.

? Temple Baptist Church - 4-7-2024Hebrews 13:1? Introduction:? A.? Chapter 13 is the “capstone” of the Book of Hebrews.? ? 1.? As all Hebrew Christian Epistles, the Book of Hebrews is a transitional book.? ? 2.? By interpretation, the Book of Hebrews is written to the Jewish believer.? ? 1 Peter 1:1? Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the strangers scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia,? 3.? By application, the Book of Hebrews is written to every believer.? B.? It helped the Jewish believers transition:? 1.? From the Old Covenant to the New Covenant? 2.? From Law to Grace? 3.? From Mount Saini to Mount Zion? 4.? From “DO” to “Done”? 5.? From Atonement to Propitiation? 6.? From the Temple to the Local Church? 7.? From the Levitical Priesthood to the Individual Priesthood of the Believer? 8.? From the Mediation of Moses to the Mediation of Christ? 9.? From Individualism to Corporatism.? ? 10.? From Abraham's Bosom to Heaven? C.? Chapter 13 is all about the unity and innerworkings of the local church and the individual responsibilities within the body to each other, to the pastor, and to the church.? ? Paul begins this chapter with the “tie that binds our hearts in Christian love.”? The spiritual “glue” that holds together the individual pieces, believers, into a single piece, the local church.? Hebrews 13:1? Let brotherly love continue.? (Let or let not!? Let means to allow something to take place that would not naturally occur.)? 1.? In order to continue in love, you must start in love.? ? 1 John 4:7-8? Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.? (8)? He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.? 1 John 5:1? Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him.? a.? So many profession believers have no real desire to be close to those who possess salvation.? You can tell by their desire to assemble or lack thereof.? You can tell by their distancing or closeness.? b.? They come to church because they feel that they must to be right with God but have no love for the church nor its people.? c.? “Have you started right?” is a question that needs to be answered as eternity hinges on it.? D. Temple Baptist Church cannot have unity, nor can it survive without Christian love permeating its pews.? The Bible says so much about this love that must continue so, let's let God define brotherly love for us.? John 13:34-35? A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.? (35)? By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.? John 15:17? These things I command you, that ye love one another.? Acts 2:1? And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.? Acts 2:46-47? And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart,? (47)? Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.? Acts 4:32? And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul: neither said any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his own; but they had all things common.? Romans 12:9-10? Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good.? (10)? Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another;? Galatians 5:13? For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.? 1 Thessalonians 4:9? But as touching brotherly love ye need not that I write unto you: for ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another.? 2 Thessalonians 1:3? We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is meet, because that your faith groweth exceedingly, and the charity of every one of you all toward each other aboundeth;? 1 Peter 1:22? Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently:? 1 Peter 3:8-9? Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous:? (9)? Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing.? 1 Peter 4:8? And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins.? 2 Peter 1:5-8? And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;? (6)? And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness;? (7)? And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.? (8)? For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.? 1 John 2:7-10? Brethren, I write no new commandment unto you, but an old commandment which ye had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word which ye have heard from the beginning.? (8)? Again, a new commandment I write unto you, which thing is true in him and in you: because the darkness is past, and the true light now shineth.? (9)? He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now.? (10)? He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him.? E.? Brotherly love is also found in the word? charity.? ? 1 John 4:7-8, 12? ? (3)? Beloved, let us love one another:? (1)? for love is of God; and (8)? He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love ... ? (12)? No man hath seen God at any time.? (2)? ? If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us.? 1.? Brotherly love issues from God –? “for love is of God”? 2.? Brotherly love is instilled in the believer by God –? “If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us.”? 3.? Brotherly love must be maintained by the believer –? “Beloved, let us love one another:”? F.? Brotherly love must be a universal love, a consistent love, an overlooking love, an equal love of the brethren.? ? 1.? Brotherly love has nothing to do with social status.? 2.? Brotherly love has nothing to do with financial clout.? 3.? Brotherly love has nothing to do with ethnicity.? 4.? Brotherly love has nothing to do with gender.? 5.? Brotherly love has nothing to do with faithfulness.? 6.? Brotherly love is uniform from the pulpit to the pew.? From the pew to the pulpit.? From the back pew to the front pew.? ? G.? 1 Corinthians gives a Biblical definition of Charity or Brotherly Love.? I will not take the time to do a verse by verse exposition of chapter 13 but will give you the gist of it.? Brotherly love is the binding love of the brethren.? It is what holds the local church together.? ? 1.? Charity is longsuffering.? 2.? Charity is kind.? 3.? Charity is unselfish.? 4.? Charity behaves itself.? 5.? Charity is overlooking.? 6.? Charity hates evil but not the sinner.? 7.? Charity loves in truth.? H.? ? Brotherly love? is an unfailing love.? Times change but biblical charity endures.? 1.? In 1 Corinthians, chapter 13, Paul names three remaining gifts: faith, hope and charity.? 1 Corinthians 13:13? And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.? 2.? The greatest of the three remaining gifts is charity: brotherly love.? Our faith and our hope are anchored in the greatest of the three, Charity.? 3.? Over these past 37 years, we have had a multitude of people come THROUGH our church.? We were not what they were looking for!? Our church has endured a lot of things: trials, division, etc.? ? BUT? our church has endured because of its love for Christ and love for one another!? 4.? ? “LET BROTHERLY LOVE CONTINUE!”? ? I do not know what the future holds for Temple Baptist Church, but I do know that our love for Christ and each other will carry us through whatever comes our way.? a)? Let means that brotherly love may or may not continue.? Think about it.? b)? Let means that we, each one of us, has control of brotherly love's continuance.

Marriage is declining in America. According to a 2019 study by the Pew Research Center, the percentage of Americans who have cohabited was larger than that of those who have been married. This is not surprising, considering that “most Americans find it acceptable for unmarried couples to live together, even for those who don't plan to get married.”? ? Since Western societies are becoming more secularized, we should expect the rejection of religiously grounded practices like marriage. People have tried to redefine marriage, wanting to abandon the biblical practice and definition of it. For example, in 2015, the American Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage in the landmark Obergefell v. Hodges decision. This expanded “marriage” to include same-sex couples, granting them legal rights and privileges.? Those who practice consensual non-monogamy (also called ethical non-monogamy) argue that dating or being in a sexual relationship with another person outside of their spouse is not adultery if all individuals involved give their consent. According to an? article? by Psych? Central,? this? arrangement? in which? husband and wife are willing for their spouse? to have? additional partners is seen as a? healthy way to cope with being “attracted to multiple people at once.”? Amid this whirlwind of ideas and changes to the definition of marriage, where should Christians stand? Do we give in to the whims of an ever-changing culture so that we are relevant? Are we supposed to ignore or reinterpret the verses in Scripture that define marriage and discuss sexual relationships just to appease the world?? Even though the culture will continually shift, the Bible does not change. We should follow God's Word and remain steadfast to its truth. This includes being faithful to what Scripture teaches about marriage.? ? Although society increasingly wants to move beyond it, marriage is still important. Here's why:? Photo Credit: ©iStock/Getty Images Plus/Nadtochiy

What do you picture when you think of church?Do you think of the rows of wooden pews or the intricate stained-glass windows in the sanctuary? Stacks of Bibles and hymnals? What about a stage or pulpit? Maybe you think of a large auditorium setting if you attend a mega church.? All these details tell us what we see when we look at a building, but they tell us nothing about what a church should biblically look like. Scripture does not give directions about the format of seating or the use of a stage. We find no mention of a required carpet color or use of stained-glass windows. During the early days of the church, there were no chapels or cathedrals with steeples. That is because the Church is not a building.? Believers make up the body of Christ, the Church (1 Corinthians 12:27).? As members of the body of Christ, what we look like stems from our relationship to Jesus and the mission He gave us. He has called us to be a multiplying people, a community that grows and reaches into the lives of others. It is a group of individuals who increasingly look like Him.? C.S. Lewis wrote about the purpose of the church in Mere Christianity. As he explained, “[T]he church exists for nothing else but to draw men into Christ, to make them little Christs. If they are not doing that, all the cathedrals, clergy, missions, sermons, even the Bible itself, are simply a waste of time” (HarperOne, 2001, p. 199).At first, Lewis' statement might surprise us. Constructing buildings, doing missions, and studying the Bible are wastes of time? They are if people are not growing in Christ and making disciples. The body of believers is meant to look increasingly like Jesus and help others become reflections of Christ too. If the church is not doing that, then it is not accomplishing its purpose. It will not look like a biblical church. ? ? But what are the indications that a group of believers are accomplishing this purpose of growing to become more like Christ? ? ? ? Scripture does not have directions about what a church building should look like, but it does have a wealth of information about what it looks like to live as individuals belonging to the Church.Photo credit: ©Getty Images/Will & Deni McIntyre

A recent Pew survey was released which found that 80% of US adults say religion's role in American life is shrinking, up from 74% in 2022.

A recent Pew survey was released which found that 80% of US adults say religion's role in American life is shrinking, up from 74% in 2022.

? Temple Baptist Church - 3-24-2024Psalm 119:97-104? Introduction:? A. Psalm 119 contains 176 verses with 22 stanzas and 8 verses per stanza with each verse in a stanza beginning with the corresponding letter of the Hebrew alphabet. An acrostic.? B. Tonight, I want to look at the 13th? stanza, verses 97-104, and the Hebrew letter MEM.? 1. This letter MEM has two different forms – the regular letter? מ, which is open at the bottom? and the special final letter? ם, which is closed. I wanted to mention this without spending a lot of time on it. We are not here tonight to learn the Hebrew language. We are here to convey a simple truth.? 2. The regular MEM? מ, represents everything that we understand while the special letter MEM? ם, represents everything that we do not comprehend.? 3. In Genesis, chapter 1, we find both uses of MEM in one verse.? In the story of the Creation, the text mentions that God separated the waters above the firmament and below it. The first? MEM? represents the waters above the firmament, which we and the second? MEM? the waters below the firmament. Therefore, this letter is connected to the element of water.? Genesis 1:7 And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament: and it was so.? 4. God made a division between the waters above the firmament, which we can see, and the waters below the firmament which we can only see that which is above ground with the water underground not seen.? 5. There are parts of the Bible that we know and understand. There are spiritual truths found in the Bible that are later grasped through continuation of study of the Scriptures.? 6. The numerical value of MEM is 40, an important number in the Bible as it signifies ripeness and maturity.? a) The life of Moses was split into three segments of 40 years. Each segment of 40 was a stage of development in his life and ministry.? b) The rains of the Great Flood lasted for 40 days.? c) Moses stayed on Mount Sinai for 40 days to receive the Law.? d) Jonah the prophet told the people of Ninveh that they had 40 days to repent.? e) The Children of Israel wandered in the desert for 40 years.? f) The LORD Jesus fasted 40 days before the Mount of Temptation.? C. MEM represents water. In this portion of the 119th? Psalm, I want to look at the Word of God in relationship to our spiritual understanding. Many of God's people have only head knowledge of God's Word but, in life, the Word of God has little practical use. Putting the Word of God into practice, especially in decision making.? D. In your Bible, water represents the Word of God.? Ephesians 5:26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,? John 3:5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.? John 4:10-14 Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water. (11) The woman saith unto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: from whence then hast thou that living water? (12) Art thou greater than our father Jacob, which gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, and his children, and his cattle? (13) Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: (14) But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.? E. The common thread in these 8 verses is learning.? Proverbs 4:5-7 Get wisdom, get understanding: forget it not; neither decline from the words of my mouth. (6) Forsake her not, and she shall preserve thee: love her, and she shall keep thee. (7) Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.? 1. Verse 97. Knowledge. “O how love I thy law! it is my meditation all the day.” The motivation for growing in God's Word is found in this verse. There are two aspects vital to our learning:? a. Love. “O how love I thy law! The words “O how” are exclamatory. This is a strong statement exemplifying the strength of “love I thy law!” Though punctuation is not a part of the actual text, the exclamation point at the end of the statement agrees with the wording. We will never gain knowledge of the Word of God unless we love the Word of God.? Job 23:11-12 My foot hath held his steps, his way have I kept, and not declined. (12) Neither have I gone back from the commandment of his lips; I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary food.? ? b. Meditation. “It is my meditation all the day.” Another key to knowledge of Scripture is meditation. Emersed in the Bible! Controlled by the Bible. As we saturate our minds and hearts with the Word of God, the Spirit of God can bring the Word to our remembrance when needed.? Isaiah 55:8-11 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. (9) For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. (10) For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: (11) So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.? c. So, what's the problem in our day? Two-fold:? 1) It is a Pew Problem.? Hosea 4:1 Hear the word of the LORD, ye children of Israel: for the LORD hath a controversy with the inhabitants of the land, because there is no truth, nor mercy, nor knowledge of God in the land.? Hebrews 5:11-12 Of whom we have many things to say, and hard to be uttered, seeing ye are dull of hearing. (12) For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat.? 2) It is a Pulpit Problem.? Hosea 4:6 My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.? 2. Verse 98. Wisdom. “Thou through thy commandments hast made me wiser than mine enemies.” Spiritual wisdom is greater than the wisdom of the world and will overcome the wicked.? a. The Master. “Thou … hast made me” is key to adding wisdom to knowledge. By my definition, wisdom is the right application of knowledge. When we love and meditate in God's Word, God the Holy Ghost will teach us how to use it in our daily lives and future days.? b. The Median. “through thy commandments”? Instead of the wisdom of the world which is good to some degree, the wisdom that comes through the application of the Word of God which is all good.? 3. Verse 99-102. Understanding. “Spiritual Engineering.” Knowledge is learning facts; wisdom it learning to put what you learn to work; Understanding is knowing why they work. What does understanding of God's commandment do?? a. Verse 98. They make you wiser than your enemies. You are not ignorant of Satan's devices.? b. Verse 99. They make you wise enough to be an example in both word and truth. You eventually become a teacher of teachers.? c. Verse 100. They make you wiser because you do not follow the wrong paths others before you have trodden.? d. Verse 101. They make you wise enough to know that sinfulness brings about a woeful end.? e. Verse 102. They make you wise enough to not think that you have “arrived” and are foolproof. Satan often attacks us in our strengths in stead of our weaknesses. Never get too wise to be smart!? 4. Verses 103-104. Never get to the place where you are no longer a learner. Often, teachers quit being students and become spiritually stale.? a. Keep the Word of God Sweet so as not to get Stale.? b. Keep the Word of God Faithfully to prevent going into the False Way.

Temple Baptist Church - 3-17-20242 Timothy 4:7? Introduction:? A.? March 22nd? will mark 37 years? that Barbara and I have been at Temple Baptist Church.? ? 1.? That is almost half of my lifetime!? ? Our children grew up here!? Laurens is our home!? Every day is a special day for this pastor when I walk through those doors and see our church family.? I often stop by the church while out visiting and many times just sit on the back pew where I can see the whole church or sit on the platform and look over the church.? I love to come here and sit and pray.? 2.? There has never been the slightest doubt? that this is where the Lord has placed me and never a time when I considered leaving or looking for another pastorate.? I am satisfied with God's amazing grace and providence that brought my family here so long ago.? I can still say that I love you better than Butter Pecan Ice Cream!? B.? We laughed and we cried!? Two special men went home to be with the Lord last year, Bro. Harold and Bro. Carroll!? What a loss for our church but what a gain for our heavenly home.? We will see them again soon.? C.? This last year, Barbara and I stood with you, and you have stayed with us.? ? I could ask for no more!? There have been good times and bad times.? There has been sickness and there has been health.? There have been fat times and there have been lean times.? There has been spring, summer, fall, and winter with times of growth and times of pruning.? Temple Baptist Church, you have proven yourself true and have positively affected this county and the world for Christ.? D.? Temple started right physically!? ? 1.? We started small but right!? Our faith was in the Lord and our foundation was in God's Word.? We were happy!? My family moved into the little house by the church, and it was home.? ? 2.? Today, we will eat? in a beautiful Fellowship Hall.? Then, we fellowshipped in the “hall!”? We were happy because we were in the perfect will of God, and we could lay our heads on our pillows at night knowing that what we were doing and had done was scriptural.? ? God blessed.? We began to take on missionary families and made this church a safe haven for them.? We have always taken good care of these special people and God has blessed us for it.? I have not tallied the numbers, but my estimate would be that we have put 3 million dollars or more on the mission field.? ? 3.? We chose to stay? in our building and remodel it as needed instead of building a larger one and allowing our debt to dictate our missions giving.? I am not knocking churches that build when they need to build but the bible says to be content with such things as you have.? In God's time, we paved our parking lot.? Remember the days when we had to push cars out of the red mud when we outgrew our graveled lot?? Those were special days.? ? 4.? When it was time,? God gave us a Fellowship Hall with SS classrooms.? When it was time, God gave us one of the most beautiful Prophet's Chambers that missionaries and evangelists have ever stayed in.? Now we also have a beautiful, cozy, feel right at home Mission House for God's special people.? E.? We started doctrinally right!? 1.? We taught our Sunday School? from the King James Bible; we filled our pulpit with the King James Bible; our people treated this property with respect; our people treated the pulpit with respect; our people have treated this pastor with respect.? We got rid of the Church Constitution and voted in the King James Bible as our authority for faith and practice.? 2.? We maintained the Old Paths? of doctrinal purity and separation.? We believed the Word of God and honored its doctrines.? We culled out the preachers and missionaries who compromised the bible and held the ones that we supported to the same standard that the church had.? We have never been “in your face” with who we are but we also have never apologized or capitulated.? ? "The New Testament Church did not depend on a moral majority, but rather on the holy minority. The Church right now has more fashion than passion, is more pathetic than prophetic, is more superficial than supernatural. The Church the Apostles ministered in was a suffering Church; today we have a sufficient Church. Events in the Spirit-controlled Church were amazing; in this day the Church is often just amusing. The New Testament Church was identified with persecutions; today many of us are identified with prosperity, popularity, and personalities.""Why Revival Tarries", Leonard Ravenhill? F.? I have preached from this verse? over the years but want to make a spiritual application on Homecoming Day, 2024.? Paul is ending his race and is summing it up in three aspects: he fought a good fight, he finished his course, and he kept the faith.? That is all God expected from this great man of God and that is all that God expects from Temple Baptist Church!? 1. We must Fight!? ? The Fight is not over!? We have had to fight from the very beginning and have continued to fight through these years.? Their faces have changed but the fight is the same.? As a church, we have weapons:? ? a.? ? The weapon of unity.? We must fight together.? When the enemies of God's Word begin their work of division, we must band together.? We are a “Band of Brothers and Sisters” here.? Too many churches have failed because people will not “answer the bell” for each round.? Most people do not like to fight and, unfortunately, most heretics or religious devils love to fight.? b.? ? The weapon of prayer.? The Lord is on our side because He loves the church more than we love it.? The church is His and we need to saturate our problems in prayer.? Pray and fight.? ? c.? ? The weapon of righteousness.? ? Our cause is just!? We war to keep our church right with the Lord.? We war to keep our church a nest in which to raise our young.? We war to keep our church's mission's outreach vibrant.? ? 2.? We must Finish!? We started right but it is possible to finish wrong or not to finish at all.? The bible does not say to finish “big” or to finish “popular.”? We are to finish our race with our spiritual integrity intact!? Today's mentality is “bigger” means that God is blessing, but many churches are “bigger” because they have allowed their churches to be worldly places for worldly people.? Starting right is great but finishing right is even greater.? 3.? We must keep the Faith!? We do so by maintaining or contending for:? ? a.? The Word of God.? ? The unending battle for Truth will continue as liberal theologians constantly undermine the foundation of our faith.? If the foundations can be destroyed, then what can the righteous do?? b.? The Old Paths.? The old ways are now being forsaken and mocked as liberal churches contend for our young people with the straw man of bridging the generation gap.? I find no place in the bible for a generation gap as the youth are to walk in the paths of their fathers!? ? c.? Separation from the world.? Church needs to be treated like church.? I, as a pastor, never come to this pulpit without a coat and tie on.? Do I wear a coat and tie all week?? I am a denim shirt and blue jeans man!? I believe it is right for the pastor to follow the old ways instead of the open shirt, casual dress of many.? When the church becomes casual, the worship will become casual!? The respect for God's house will be gone and it just becomes another building.? Conclusion:? Temple, we started right—we have remained right—let us finish the task that God has given us right!

As young adults are getting married and entering parenthood later in life than their parents' generation did before them, a new Pew Research study finds that among young adults without children, men are more likely than women to say they want to be parents someday.?

As Christians we are called to server and not just to fill an empty pew. We at Cornerstone Baptist Church strive to give people the opportunities they need to serve the Lord with their life.

As Christians we are called to server and not just to fill an empty pew. We at Cornerstone Baptist Church strive to give people the opportunities they need to serve the Lord with their life.The post Find Your Place appeared first on Cornerstone Baptist Church.